Albino Malawi Eyebiter – D. compressiceps

Though its nickname seems ominous, the Malawi Eyebiter (Dimidiochromis compressiceps) does not necessarily practice this behavior. It is, however, quite an aggressive cichlid that should be kept with other cichlids of similar aggression or with fish that are not small enough to be eaten.

The Malawi Eyebiter is a beautiful cichlid as a juvenile and adult. The compressed body shape and strange looking underbite allow these fish to squeeze into rock crevices in pursuit of prey. Dominant males are deep metallic blue with a faint black stripe along each side and red accents in the dorsal and anal fins. This albino variant has a whitish body and red eyes.

Malawian and Victorian cichlids are similar in care and temperament, leading to fish from these two lakes being grouped together in the hobby. Several hundreds species of cichlid are found in Lake Malawi, along with many regional variations, but Lake Victoria has far fewer due to the introduction of invasive predators. Most cichlids in both lakes are rock-dwellers. They seldom stray far from the rocky bottoms and sides of the lake and will quickly dart into the rocks to hide. As with all cichlids, they are very territorial and will not tolerate other cichlids around \