Nimbochromis venustus

Nimbochromis venustus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Cichlidae
Genus: Nimbochromis
Species: N. venustus
Binomial name
Nimbochromis venustus
(Boulenger, 1908)
Synonyms
  • Haplochromis venustus Boulenger, 1908
  • Cyrtocara venusta (Boulenger, 1908)
  • Haplochromis simulans Regan, 1922

Nimbochromis venustus, commonly called Venustus Hap or Giraffe Hap, is a Haplochromine cichlid endemid to Lake Malawi in Africa. It prefers the deeper regions of the lake (6 to 23 metres (20 to 75 ft)) where it hunts smaller juvenile cichlids with a specialised hunting technique. After spotting prey, it will partially submerge itself into the sand and lie motionless until the chosen fish comes within reach. it will then dart out of the sand and strike. It is related to Nimbochromis livingstonii. In the wild it is known to grow to 25 centimetres (9.8 in) TL though usually not exceeding a length of 22.5 centimetres (8.9 in) TL.[2]

It is a popular freshwater aquarium fish which grows between 8 and 12 inches (20–30 cm) in length. This fish should ONLY be kept with other Lake Malawi cichlids. Some catfish are also compatible. These fish are generally yellow with brown blotches (like a giraffe). Males will have a blue head and other blue colouring when they reach sexual maturity.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nimbochromis venustus.

References

  1. ↑ Kazembe, J., Makocho, P. & Mailosi, A. 2006. Nimbochromis venustus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 4 May 2013.
  2. ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Nimbochromis venustus" in FishBase. April 2013 version.
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