Placidochromis acuticeps
Text & photo by Guest Author: Prof. George F. Turner, Bangor University, UK

This is yet another deep-water species, recently given a formal description and named Placidochromis acuticeps by Hanssens (2004); previously, this species was known informally as Placidochromis 'acuticeps.' It is a relatively elongate species with indistinct broad vertical bars, a flat lower jaw, and a sharply pointed snout. It differs from Placidochromis polli (thought to be closely related) in having a larger mouth and from Placidochromis macrognathus in having a smaller mouth, weaker lower jaw and more pointed snout. It is deeper bodied than Placidochromis longus or P. platyrhynchos. The photo shows a nonbreeding male — ripe males have prominent dark bars, with dark fins, and several large whitish yellow streaks on the anal fin. The species is known to grow to 15cm (6 inches) total length and it has been found only from the SE Arm off Monkey Bay, at depths of 70-125m (approx. 230-400 feet). I did not make up the former nickname for this species, but found specimens in the Monkey Bay field collection under the name 'Haplochromis acuticeps.' This name was widely used by fisheries recorders in the early 1990s. I consider it a bad name, as it is often "corrected" on Malawi fishery survey records to Lichnochromis acuticeps — an entirely different species!

	Suggested citation of this page: Turner, G.F. (2002) Placidochromis 'acuticeps'. http://malawicichlids.com/mw08116.htm. In: "The Cichlid Fishes of Lake Malawi, Africa" (M.K. Oliver, webmaster), http://malawicichlids.com. Accessed [date].
	Last updated: 24 May 2008 Page first posted: 1 December 2002 Web Author: M. K. Oliver, Ph.D. Copyright © 1997-2021 by M. K. Oliver, Ph.D. - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED