Nimbochromis livingstonii, Livingston's Cichlid or (locally) kalingono, is a freshwater

Freshwater

Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...

 mouthbrooding 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...

 fish of the genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 Nimbochromis

Nimbochromis

Nimbochromis is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. They are known as sleeper cichlids or kaligono , due to their unique hunting behaviour....

, 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...

, an African Rift Lake

Rift Valley lakes

The Rift Valley lakes are a group of lakes in the Great Rift Valley formed by the East African Rift which runs through the whole eastern side of the African continent from north to south...

. It is also found in the upper Shire River

Shire River

The Shire is a river in Malawi and Mozambique. The river has been known as the Shiré or Chire River. It is the outlet of Lake Malawi and flows into the Zambezi. Its length is 402 km; including Lake Malawi and the Ruhuhu, its headstream, it has a length of about 1200 km...

 and Lake Malombe

Lake Malombe

Lake Malombe is a lake in southern part of Malawi, on the Shire River, in the Southern Region. It is located at around . It has an area of about . In recent years the number of fishermen on the lake rose substantially, this led to local decline in some fish species, such as chambo.- References :*...

. They are found in inshore areas of the lake over sandy substrates.

Morphology

A laterally compressed fish with a large mouth. Maximum reported length of male fish in the wild is 25 cm (10 in); females are smaller. Colouration variable but typically mottled brown and white. The dorsal fin

Dorsal fin

A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...

 may also show blue coloration while maintaining an orange to red band and sometimes a white line. Adult males frequently "color up" in response to changing conditions and rapidly change from spotted camouflage

Camouflage

Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...

 to brilliant blues and greens and may even exhibit a pale golden tone. The anal fin is usually orange to red. Females are similar, but usually lack the yellow "egg spot" markings on the anal fin. Juveniles display a brown and white spotted pattern.

The distinctive colouration of this species is said to mimic that of a dead fish, and may be part of a hunting strategy.

Diet and feeding behaviour

Wild fish feed primarily on small fish, in particular Lethrinops

Lethrinops

Lethrinops is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. Particularly in the aquarium hobby, they are known as the sandeaters or sandsifters.-References: [2009]: . Retrieved 2009-OCT-03....

spp. Aquarium specimens have been observed to lie on the substrate as if dead, waiting for small fish to come close in search of a meal. When a suitable target comes into range, the fish quickly lunges at the prey and usually swallows it whole.

Reproduction

Males are polygamous and will mate with multiple females. This species is an mouthbrooder

Mouthbrooder

Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a variety of different animals, most notably Darwin's...

 with the female incubating up to 100 eggs until they hatch and the fry become free swimming.

Economic importance

Nimbochromis livingstonii is used locally as a food fish

Artisan fishing

Artisan fishing is a term used to describe small scale low-technology commercial or subsistence fishing practices. The term particularly applies to coastal or island ethnic groups using traditional techniques such as rod and tackle, arrows and harpoons, throw nets and drag nets, and traditional...

 and is also collected and traded as an aquarium

Fishkeeping

Fishkeeping is a popular hobby concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a fishkeeping industry, as a branch of agriculture.-Types of fishkeeping systems:...

fish.