Malawi
Checklist of Endemic Freshwater Fish Species
This list of freshwater fish species found exclusively in Malawi is based on the taxonomy used in FishBase 2004 (2004). For further details on possible inaccuracies in the list see Sources & Caveats.
FishBase 2004: a global information system on fishes. DVD. WorldFish Center - Philippine Office, Los Banos, Philippines. Published in May 2004.
The current version of this electronic database is accessible here.
OC = a FishBase occurrence record suggests a specimen from another country outside normal stated range ( these vary widely in reliability from obvious misidentifications to being almost certainly correct)
Nothobranchius kirki (Aplocheilidae) Redfin Notho
Alticorpus macrocleithrum (Cichlidae) Mae West Cichlid
Alticorpus pectinatum (Cichlidae)
Alticorpus profundicola (Cichlidae)
Aulonocara aquilonium (Cichlidae)
Aulonocara auditor (Cichlidae)
Aulonocara baenschi (Cichlidae) Nkhomo-benga Peacock
Aulonocara ethelwynnae (Cichlidae) Chitande Aulonocara
Aulonocara hansbaenschi (Cichlidae) Fort Maguire Cichlid
Aulonocara hueseri (Cichlidae) Night Aulonocara
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi (Cichlidae) Eureka Peacock
Aulonocara korneliae (Cichlidae) Blue-Gold Aulonocara
Aulonocara macrochir (Cichlidae)
Aulonocara maylandi (Cichlidae) Sulfurhead Aulonocara
Aulonocara rostratum (Cichlidae) Long Nose peacock
Aulonocara steveni (Cichlidae) Pale Usisya Aulonocara
Aulonocara trematocephala (Cichlidae)
Buccochromis atritaeniatus (Cichlidae)
Buccochromis oculatus (Cichlidae)
Caprichromis liemi (Cichlidae) Happy
Champsochromis spilorhynchus (Cichlidae) Teardrop Cichlid
Copadichromis atripinnis (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis azureus (Cichlidae) Azure Cichlid
Copadichromis boadzulu (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis chrysonotus (Cichlidae) Yellow-Nape Hap
Copadichromis conophoros (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis cyclicos (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis flavimanus (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis inornatus (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis likomae (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis mbenjii (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis mloto (Cichlidae) Ivory-Topped Hap
Copadichromis nkatae (Cichlidae) Common Nkata
Copadichromis pleurostigma (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis pleurostigmoides (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis thinos (Cichlidae)
Copadichromis verduyni (Cichlidae)
Ctenopharynx intermedius (Cichlidae) Blackspot Climbing Perch
Cynotilapia axelrodi (Cichlidae)
Diplotaxodon aeneus (Cichlidae)
Diplotaxodon apogon (Cichlidae)
Diplotaxodon greenwoodi (Cichlidae)
Diplotaxodon limnothrissa (Cichlidae)
Diplotaxodon macrops (Cichlidae)
Eclectochromis festivus (Cichlidae)
Eclectochromis lobochilus (Cichlidae)
Eclectochromis ornatus (Cichlidae) Ornate Pouting Hap
Haplochromis phenochilus (Cichlidae)
Iodotropheus declivitas (Cichlidae)
Iodotropheus sprengerae (Cichlidae) Rusty Cichlid
Labeotropheus fuelleborni (Cichlidae) Blue Mbuna
Labidochromis chisumulae (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis flavigulis (Cichlidae) Chisumulu Pearl
Labidochromis freibergi (Cichlidae) Dwarf Zebra
Labidochromis gigas (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis heterodon (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis ianthinus (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis lividus (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis maculicauda (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis mathotho (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis mbenjii (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis mylodon (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis pallidus (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis shiranus (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis strigatus (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis textilis (Cichlidae) Cloth-of-Gold Cichlid
Labidochromis vellicans (Cichlidae)
Labidochromis zebroides (Cichlidae) Likoma Island Clown
Lethrinops leptodon (Cichlidae)
Lethrinops macrochir (Cichlidae)
Lethrinops macrophthalmus (Cichlidae)
Lethrinops marginatus (Cichlidae)
Lethrinops microdon (Cichlidae)
Lethrinops microstoma (Cichlidae) Littletooth Sandeater
Lethrinops oculatus (Cichlidae)
Lichnochromis acuticeps OC (Cichlidae) Malawi Gar
Maravichromis anaphyrmus (Cichlidae) Deep Nkata
Maravichromis balteatus (Cichlidae)
Maravichromis obtusus (Cichlidae) Pignose Hap
Maravichromis semipalatus (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis auratus (Cichlidae) Golden Mbuna
Melanochromis baliodigma (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis benetos (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis brevis (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis chipokae (Cichlidae) Chipokae mbuna
Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos (Cichlidae) Maingano
Melanochromis dialeptos (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis elastodema (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis heterochromis (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis interruptus (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis joanjohnsonae (Cichlidae) Pearl of Likoma
Melanochromis johannii OC (Cichlidae) Bluegray Mbuna
Melanochromis labrosus OC (Cichlidae) Big-lip Hap
Melanochromis lepidiadaptes (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis loriae (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis mellitus (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis parallelus OC (Cichlidae) Parallel Striped Mbuna
Melanochromis perileucos (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis perspicax (Cichlidae) Violet-striped Mbuna
Melanochromis robustus (Cichlidae)
Melanochromis simulans OC (Cichlidae) Longsnout Mbuna
Melanochromis vermivorus (Cichlidae) Purple Mbuna
Melanochromis xanthodigma (Cichlidae)
Metriaclima benetos (Cichlidae)
Metriaclima callainos OC (Cichlidae) Cobalt Zebra
Metriaclima chrysomallos (Cichlidae) Masinje Zebra
Metriaclima cyneusmarginatus (Cichlidae) Benga Zebra
Metriaclima emmiltos (Cichlidae)
Metriaclima greshakei (Cichlidae) Red Top Ice Blue
Metriaclima heteropictus (Cichlidae)
Metriaclima mbenjii (Cichlidae) Red Top Cobalt
Metriaclima melabranchion (Cichlidae)
Metriaclima pyrsonotos (Cichlidae)
Metriaclima sandaracinos (Cichlidae)
Metriaclima thapsinogen (Cichlidae)
Metriaclima xanstomachus (Cichlidae) Yellow Throat
Metriaclima zebra OC (Cichlidae) Zebra Cichlid
Microchromis zebroides OC (Cichlidae)
Mylochromis chekopae (Cichlidae)
Mylochromis ensatus (Cichlidae)
Mylochromis spilostichus (Cichlidae)
Nimbochromis fuscotaeniatus (Cichlidae) Blue Leopard Mouthbrooder
Nimbochromis pardalis (Cichlidae)
Nyassachromis microcephalus OC (Cichlidae) Green Utaka Cichlid
Nyassachromis nigritaeniatus (Cichlidae) Little-Mouth Hap
Otopharynx brooksi (Cichlidae)
Otopharynx heterodon (Cichlidae) Royal Blue Hap
Otopharynx lithobates (Cichlidae) Sulphurhead Cichlid
Otopharynx pachycheilus (Cichlidae)
Otopharynx walteri (Cichlidae)
Pallidochromis tokolosh (Cichlidae)
Petrotilapia chrysos (Cichlidae)
Petrotilapia genalutea OC (Cichlidae) Yellow-brown Petrotilapia
Petrotilapia nigra (Cichlidae)
Placidochromis electra OC (Cichlidae) Deepwater Hap
Placidochromis hennydaviesae (Cichlidae)
Placidochromis johnstoni (Cichlidae) Sixstripe Mouthbrooder
Placidochromis longimanus OC (Cichlidae)
Placidochromis milomo (Cichlidae) Super VC-10 Hap
Placidochromis stonemani (Cichlidae)
Protomelas dejunctus (Cichlidae) Fire Blue
Protomelas insignis (Cichlidae) One-and-a-half-stripe Hap
Protomelas kirkii OC (Cichlidae)
Protomelas macrodon (Cichlidae)
Protomelas pleurotaenia OC (Cichlidae)
Protomelas triaenodon (Cichlidae)
Protomelas virgatus (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus ater (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus aurora (Cichlidae) Aurora Mbuna
Pseudotropheus barlowi (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus crabro (Cichlidae) Hornet Cichlid
Pseudotropheus cyaneus (Cichlidae) Cyan Hap
Pseudotropheus elegans (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus flavus (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus fuscoides (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus fuscus (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus galanos (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus hajomaylandi (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus lanisticola (Cichlidae) Snailshell Mbuna
Pseudotropheus livingstonii (Cichlidae) Livingstone's Mbuna
Pseudotropheus lombardoi (Cichlidae) Kennyi Mbuna
Pseudotropheus lucerna OC (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus microstoma (Cichlidae) Small-mouthed Tropheus
Pseudotropheus minutus OC (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus modestus (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus novemfasciatus (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus purpuratus (Cichlidae) Aggressive Blue Mbuna
Pseudotropheus pursus (Cichlidae)
Pseudotropheus saulosi (Cichlidae) Saulos's Mbuna
Pseudotropheus tursiops (Cichlidae) Dolphin Mbuna
Pseudotropheus williamsi (Cichlidae)
Sciaenochromis benthicola (Cichlidae)
Stigmatochromis pholidophorus (Cichlidae) Candle Hap
Tramitichromis intermedius (Cichlidae)
Tramitichromis trilineata (Cichlidae)
Tramitichromis variabilis OC (Cichlidae)
Tyrannochromis polyodon (Cichlidae)
Barbus choloensis (Cyprinidae) Silver Barb
Barbus johnstonii (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus dimidiatus (Cyprinidae)
Varicorhinus xyrocheilus (Cyprinidae)
Malapterurus shirensis OC (Malapteruridae)Additional endemic freshwater fish species that were described too recently to be included in FishBase 2004 are given below. This list is primarily based on information from the 13 March 2009 version of the Catalog of Fishes database (current version here) and includes species described through 2008. In addition to the 182 endemic freshwater fish species listed above, these additional 28 species total 210 species of freshwater fishes known solely from Malawi.
Aulonocara koningsi (Cichlidae) 2003
Copadichromis chizumuluensis (Cichlidae) 2006
Copadichromis diplostigma (Cichlidae) 2006
Copadichromis insularis (Cichlidae) 2006
Cynotilapia pulpican (Cichlidae) 2002
Lethrinops turneri (Cichlidae) 2003
Maylandia flavifemina (Cichlidae) 2006
Petrotilapia microgalana (Cichlidae) 2006
Placidochromis acuticeps (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis boops (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis domirae (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis elongatus (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis fuscus (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis intermedius (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis koningsi (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis mbunoides (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis minor (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis minutus (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis msakae (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis nigribarbis (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis nkhatae (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis nkhotakotae (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis obscurus (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis rotundifrons (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis trewavasae (Cichlidae) 2004
Placidochromis vulgaris (Cichlidae) 2004
Barbus seymouri (Cyprinidae) 2008
Labeobarbus nthuwa (Cyprinidae) 2008