The "redeye labeo," Labeo cylindricus, has a wide distribution.
It is found all the way from Chad and the Congo basin to Kenya, and
southwards to northern Natal, South Africa. In Lake Malawi, it is
"...[a] rock-haunting Labeo abundant... wherever a rocky substrate
on which grows the algae on which this species feeds is to be found,
and also in the middle and lower reaches of rivers where a similar
environment occurs" (Jackson, 1961).
It reaches a length of "34 cm. [13.4 inches] or more" in Lake Malawi,
according to Jackson; this is substantially larger
than the 23 cm (9 inches) and 0.9 kg (2 pounds) reported
in the southern African part of its range
by Skelton (1993).
Unlike the specimens illustrated here, individuals in Lake Malawi tend
to show a distinctive, narrow, dark stripe along the middle of the
flanks, from the gill covers to the base of the caudal fin. This and
the bright red coloring in the upper part of the eye are good
recognition characters underwater.
Populations in the lake have "...a well marked breeding season,
around December, and the breeding season is very short, eggs
being laid among the rocks" (Jackson, 1961).
An acanthocephalan parasite of L. cylindricus in Lake Malawi was described
recently (Amin & Hendrix, 1999).
Both the color painting (above) and the illustration below, from
Jubb (1967),
are used by kind permission of Mr. A. T. Balkema of
A. A. Balkema
Publishers, Rotterdam.
