Smallmouth lethrinops

Lethrinops microstoma

Also known as Microstoma sand hap

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.5–8.5
Adult size: 5.7 in (14.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 79 gal (300 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Malawi
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

The smallmouth lethrinops is a dainty sand-sifter, best kept as a group in a species-only tank where it does not have to fight faster fish for food. It is peaceful and easily out-competed, so avoid boisterous tankmates. Give it a deep bed of soft sand to sift, and feed small sinking foods it can actually process rather than large pellets. Males color up with blue and green over the sand. A tank of around 300 liters with a broad open sandy floor suits a group.

In the wild

Lethrinops microstoma sifts fine sand in the quieter sandy bays of Lake Malawi, around places such as Cape Maclear and Senga Bay. Give it a wide bed of soft sand with little rockwork, and the lake's hard, alkaline, warm water at pH 7.5-8.5 and 24-27 C.

Good to know

Lethrinops microstoma is a cichlid reaching about 14.5 centimeters. Its name means small mouth, and that little downturned mouth works as a fine sieve for straining tiny animals out of mouthfuls of sand. Males show blue and metallic green with orange in the fins, while females stay drab. It is a maternal mouthbrooder of medium breeding difficulty.

Did you know

In a lake full of sand-sifting cichlids, microstoma wins by going small. Its fine, narrow mouth strains out the tiny food particles that bigger-mouthed shovelers pass over, carving out a niche most of them cannot use.

Tank mates

Smallmouth lethrinops is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.