Barbus johnstonii

Barbus johnstonii, a cyprinid found in Lake Malawi;
illustration of Varicorhinus nyasensis (a synonym of B. johnstonii)
from Worthington (1933)

Barbus johnstonii is another of the three large Barbus species of Lake Malawi (for distinguishing features, see under B. eurystomus), and it is a particularly variable species. Until Banister & Clarke (1980) finally sorted out the confusion, its variants were listed by Worthington (1933) and Jackson (1961) under three species of Barbus and one of Varicorhinus! Some of the variation in head shape and mouth form is illustrated in the drawing above and in the two at the bottom of this page (all taken from Worthington, 1933).

Endemic to Lake Malawi and its inflowing rivers, B. johnstonii attains at least 32 cm SL (12.5 inches) and may weigh in excess of 4.5 kg (10 pounds). As for its diet and reproduction, it is "omnivorous but also predatory when adult, taking small fish. Penetrates far up rivers and spawns there" (Jackson, 1961: 549). Indigenous names include "Nkumbwa," "Ngumbo," and "Chimwe."

Visit drawing of Barbus johnstonii
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Barbus johnstonii, a cyprinid found in Lake Malawi;
illustration from Worthington (1933)

The Cichlid Fishes of Lake Malawi, Africa: MalawiCichlids.com