Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Whitelip Cichlid (Placidochromis phenochilus), recorded as Endangered
Whitelip Cichlid (Placidochromis phenochilus). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Whitelip Cichlid

Placidochromis phenochilus

Whitelip Cichlid is a cichlid that is endemic to the northern parts of Lake Malawi.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Placidochromis phenochilus
Recorded from
Malawi, Japan, Tanzania
Taxonomy
Perciformes · Cichlidae · Placidochromis

The cichlid

This species can reach a length of 15.7 centimetres (6.2 in) TL.

Cichlids are perch-like freshwater fishes with a second set of jaws in the throat. Many species mouth-brood the young.

Perch-like ray-finned fishes: spiny-rayed fins and a huge spread of freshwater and marine families.

Range and habitat

Whitelip Cichlid is a cichlid that is endemic to the northern parts of Lake Malawi.

GBIF currently lists 12 occurrence points. Those points follow where people logged the taxon — museum drawers and surveys included — not a closed range boundary.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Diet

Cichlids defend a territory or a brood. Diet in the family runs from algae scrapers to piscivores; this page does not invent a menu for one species.

In crisis

Whitelip Cichlid is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Placidochromis phenochilus — often a short stub, Wikidata item Q3316356 and GBIF occurrence geography. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Also in this catalog

Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii
Photograph of Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Axolotl

Ambystoma mexicanum

Quick answers

What is Whitelip Cichlid?
Whitelip Cichlid is a cichlid in the family Cichlidae (order Perciformes) — Placidochromis phenochilus.
What is the conservation status of Whitelip Cichlid?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Placidochromis phenochilus. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Whitelip Cichlid live?
Whitelip Cichlid is a cichlid that is endemic to the northern parts of Lake Malawi.
Why is Whitelip Cichlid in crisis?
It is Endangered on Wikidata. Read the official Red List assessment for the criteria.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Placidochromis phenochilus?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Whitelip Cichlid a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.