Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.
Diplotaxodon is a small genus of seven formally described, as well as a number of undescribed, deep-water species of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Malawi in east Africa. These fishes represent a remarkable adaptive radiation of offshore and deep-water adapted fish descended from ancestral shallow water forms. They include the dominant zooplankton-feeding fish of the offshore and deep-water regions of the lake, as well as a number of larger species that appear to feed on small pelagic fishes. Adult sizes range from 10 to 30 cm in total length, depending on species.
Hemitaeniochromis urotaenia is a species of fish endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. It is the type species of the genus Hemitaeniochromis, and is part of family Cichlidae in subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae and the tribe Haplochromini.
The desert rain frog, web-footed rain frog, or Boulenger's short-headed frog is a species of frog in the family Brevicipitidae. It is found in Namibia and South Africa. Its natural habitat is the narrow strip of sandy shores between the sea and the sand dunes. It is threatened by habitat loss by such factors as mining and tourism.
Aulonocara auditor is a species of haplochromine cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi. It was known only from the holotype collected in northern Lake Malawi near Vua, Malawi. The IUCN state that this species may possibly be extinct due to beach seining within its limited range but there are claims that it was observed in 1989 and was quite numerous, although this was later retracted and it was stated that these observations referred to Aulonocara aquilonium. Following an examination of the holotype, this examination also suggests that A. auditor may not be a species of Aulonocara and that more material needs to be collected and studied.
The pale Usisya aulonocara is a putative species of haplochromine cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi.
Callochromis macrops is a species cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is found over sandy bottoms. This species reaches a length of 13.5 centimetres (5.3 in) TL. This species can also be found in the aquarium trade. It is the type species of the genus Callochromis.
Copadichromis virginalis is a species of haplochromine cichlid, which is endemic to Lake Malawi the upper Shire River and to Lake Malombe. It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. The population has shown signs of a severe decline and is under pressure from overfishing for food, in 2018 this led to the IUCN changing its status from Data Deficient to Near Threatened.
Diplotaxodon argenteus is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.
Diplotaxodon ecclesi is a species of haplochromine cichlid. It is endemic to Lake Malawi where it is found in open water at mainly at the deeper levels, although it is rarely caught by trawling. Its main prey is the Lake Malawi sardine. The specific name honours the Senior Fisheries Research Officer of Malawi, David H. Eccles.
Diplotaxodon greenwoodi is a species of haplochromine cichlid which is endemic to Lake Malawi. It occurs in the reef and shelf zones of the lake where it preys on small cichlids. The specific name honours the English ichthyologist Peter Humphry Greenwood (1927-1995).
Diplotaxodon limnothrissa is a species of haplochromine cichlid which is endemic to Lake Malawi and it is found in Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. It occurs in inshore and offshore waters, on reefs and over the rock shelf; and it is abundant over the anoxic zone. It is a maternal mouthbrooder and it feeds on zooplankton. It is probably the most abundant species of cichlid in Lake Malawi. The specific name references the clupeid Limnothrissa miodon, the Lake Tanganyika sardine, to which this species bears some morphological and biological similarities.
Haplochromis piceatus is a species of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Victoria in East Africa. Although listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, surveys since 2005 have failed to find it in its home lake and it is possibly extinct in the wild. Captive "safety populations" are maintained at several public aquariums.
Astatotilapia tweddlei is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is found in Malawi and Mozambique. Its natural habitats are rivers and freshwater lakes.
Lethrinops stridei is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi where it occurs at depths of from 15 to 55 metres in areas with sandy substrates. This species grows to a length of 13 centimetres (5.1 in) SL. The specific name honours Kenneth E. Stride, who introduced successful commercial trawling to Lake Malawi, and this species is now very rare in Lake Malawi and is threatened by overfishing by commercial trawlers.
The Malawi spinyeel is a species of fish in the family Mastacembelidae from Africa. It is endemic to the Lake Malawi basin, including the main lake itself, Lake Malombe and the lower Shire River. It is the only described species of spinyeel in Lake Malawi, but a brightly marked variant, Mastacembelus sp. "Rosette" is also known. It is unclear if it is a variant of the Malawi spinyeel or an undescribed species. The Malawi spinyeel reaches about 30 cm (12 in) in length, and likely feeds on invertebrates and small fish.
Bellamya jeffreysi is a species of large freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Viviparidae.
Melanoides polymorpha is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusk in the family Thiaridae.
The goggle-eyed worm snake is a species of snakes in the family Leptotyphlopidae.
Chalcorana macrops is a species of "true frog" in the family Ranidae. It is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. Common name Masarang frog has been coined for it. The specific name macrops refers to the large eyes of this frog.
