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Otopharynx styrax (previously known as Otopharynx sp."torpedo blue") is living in sandy environments in the neighbourhood of the intermediate zones from rocks to sand. In the lake they can be found on several places, a.o. in the neighbourhood of Mdoka and Ntekete (Malawi), near Nkhudzi in the southeastern arm of the lake, near Chiloelo (Mozambique) and also along the Tanzanian coast. The variant which can be found in the southeastern arm have a less clear pattern of spots than the ones from the other locations. The variant shown here can be found near Itungi in the northern part of the lake. Depending of the location where they are caught the males of these species can grow to an average lenght of 17 cm; the southern variants seem to reach an average lenght of 12 cm while the Tanzanian variants are a lot bigger, they can grow up to 23 cm. In an aquarium however they can grow a little taller because of a good feeding. The females remain a lot smaller. Otopharynx styrax is in common a real peaceful cichlid. You can keep this species best with other peaceful species and multiple females in a tank with some places to hide. In the lake they are mainly feeding themselves probably with invertebrates which they find on and in the sandbottom. In the aquarium they are comfortable with any food. They take everything they get offered, like spirulina pellets, mysis, artemia, cyclops and shrimp-peas mix. 
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