Placidochromis phenochilus - Sub-adult

Placidochromis phenochilus is a fairly peaceful larger cichlid from the area around a few islands in Lake Malawi. Females and juveniles are brownish-grey while the mature males are bright blue with thick white rubbery lips.


The Phenochilus has several different color variants, geographical variants and sub-species. The fish pictured here are representative only and we cannot guarantee availability or identification of any specific variants in this general species listing.

Malawian and Victorian cichlids are similar in care and temperament, leading to fish from these two lakes being grouped together in the hobby. Several hundreds species of cichlid are found in Lake Malawi, along with many regional variations, but Lake Victoria has far fewer due to the introduction of invasive predators. Most cichlids in both lakes are rock-dwellers. They seldom stray far from the rocky bottoms and sides of the lake and will quickly dart into the rocks to hide. As with all cichlids, they are very territorial and will not tolerate other cichlids around their crevice.

Two of the most popular groups of these cichlids are the Peacocks (mostly the Aulonocara genus) and Mbuna's (native term for rock fish and including the genera Pseudotropheus, Labidochromis, Maylandia, Melanochromis and others). While aggression and compatibility can vary from species to species, mixing Mbuna and Peacock cichlids is not usually recommended. Mbuna cichlids tend to be more aggressive an(more...)