Anaphyrmus hap

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a large Malawi hap that patrols over sandy floors, hunting snails and other small prey buried in the sediment. It does best kept socially as a harem, one male with a few females, rather than alone or as a rival pair of males. It is an assertive, territorial fish, so pick tankmates with caution: other robust Malawi cichlids that can stand their ground, with enough space and a deep sand bed to spread out aggression. Feed a mixed diet of sinking pellets, snails, and frozen foods such as krill and mussel to suit its shellfish-crushing habits. Give it at least 400 liters with a broad, open sand floor.

In the wild

It is endemic to Lake Malawi, common on shallow to deep sandy and silty coasts where a thin layer of silt supports a rich population of snails. Recreate the rift-lake chemistry with hard, alkaline water around pH 7.6 to 8.6 and a temperature of 24 to 28 C. The floor is the important part: a deep bed of fine sand for it to work over, with a little rock structure at the margins and plenty of clear space.

Good to know

A member of the cichlid family, it reaches around 22 cm and carries the diagonal flank stripe typical of the genus Mylochromis. Rather than simply sifting sand, it is a specialized snail-eater, crushing shells with heavy, flattened teeth in its throat. It is a maternal mouthbrooder of moderate breeding difficulty.

Did you know

Its throat is lined with broad, flattened teeth that work like a nutcracker, letting it crush and swallow the snails it digs out of the silty lake floor, shells and all.

Common questions

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