Nimbochromis venustus
Encyclopedia
Nimbochromis venustus, commonly called Venustus Hap or Giraffe Hap, is a Haplochromine
cichlid
native to Lake Malawi
in Africa
. It prefers the deeper regions of Lake Malawi where it hunts smaller juvenile cichlids with a specialised hunting technique. After spotting prey, it will partially submerge itself into the sand and lie dormant until the chosen fish comes within reach. The adult venustus will then dart out of the sand and strike. It is related to Nimbochromis livingstonii
.
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.
Haplochromine
The haplochromine cichlids are a tribe of cichlids in subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae called Haplochromini. This group includes the type genus plus a number of closely related genera such as Aulonocara, Astatotilapia, and Chilotilapia. They are endemic to eastern and southern Africa...
cichlid
Cichlid
Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
native to Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It prefers the deeper regions of Lake Malawi where it hunts smaller juvenile cichlids with a specialised hunting technique. After spotting prey, it will partially submerge itself into the sand and lie dormant until the chosen fish comes within reach. The adult venustus will then dart out of the sand and strike. It is related to Nimbochromis livingstonii
Nimbochromis livingstonii
Nimbochromis livingstonii, Livingston's Cichlid or kalingono, is a freshwater mouthbrooding cichlid fish of the genus Nimbochromis, native to Lake Malawi, an African Rift Lake. It is also found in the upper Shire River and Lake Malombe...
.
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.