Venustus Hap

Nimbochromis venustus

''Nimbochromis venustus'', commonly called venustus hap or giraffe hap, is a Haplochromine cichlid endemid to Lake Malawi in Africa. It prefers the deeper regions of the lake ) where it hunts smaller juvenile cichlids with a specialised hunting technique. After spotting prey, it will partially submerge itself into the sand and lie motionless until the chosen fish comes within reach. it will then dart out of the sand and strike. It is related to ''Nimbochromis livingstonii''. In the wild it is known to grow to 25 centimetres TL though usually not exceeding a length of 22.5 centimetres TL.

It is a popular freshwater aquarium fish. The fish are generally yellow with a pattern of darker, melanic blotches. Males will have a blue head and other blue colouring when they reach sexual maturity.
Status: Least concern
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCichliformes
FamilyCichlidae
GenusNimbochromis
SpeciesN. venustus
Photographed in
Belgium