Furry Diary

Not furry, but we like them anyway.

Malawi Eyebiter

Dimidiochromis compressiceps (Boulenger, 1908)

Also called Malawi Eye-biter, Compressiceps, Paratilapia compressiceps

SpeciesShort profile

From Lake Malawi, Lake Malombe and the upper Shire River in East Africa (Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania), mainly in shallow, vegetated areas.12

At a glance the quick version

Length23 to 25 cm132
Sizelarge
Unique blade-thin body shape
Gorgeous metallic males
Fascinating ambush hunter
23

Looks how to spot one

Very flat-sided, long-snouted predator

A strikingly thin, blade-like cichlid with a long head and pointed snout, built to slip unseen between plants.12

Colourssilvery white with a brown side stripe (females and young)metallic blue with red and orange fins (mature males)albino form in the hobby23

Personality what they are like

A calm, watchful predator that is peaceful with fish too big to swallow; males become territorial when spawning.32

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Hovers quietly among cover and makes swift dashes; appreciates both open water and sheltered spots.23

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Sand substrate, some cover or tall decor, and roomy water with strong filtration.31

Home where they are happiest

At least 150 x 38 cm base (about 257 litres), 22 to 28 C, pH about 7.5 to 8.8 and 9 to 25 dGH.31

Food basics what goes in the bowl

A fish-eater; feed meaty frozen foods such as prawn, mussel and cockle, with pellets only as an extra.31

Company who they like around

Keep with fish longer than about 12 cm; breeding groups should have more females than males.3

The story where it all began

George Boulenger described the species in 1908, naming it for its compressed head. It moved through several genera before being placed in Dimidiochromis, and it has been kept by Malawi enthusiasts for decades.12

Fun facts for the dinner table

  1. 1

    It swallows prey tail-first, which is unusual among fish.2

  2. 2

    Despite the name, eye-biting has not been documented in the wild.2

  3. 3

    In the wild it hunts mostly young utaka and other shoaling fish.1

  4. 4

    Its thin body lets it blend in among aquatic plants while waiting for prey.2

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List
Least Concern (assessed 22 June 2018)1
Taxonomy
Described by Boulenger in 1908 as Paratilapia compressiceps; later in Cyrtocara and Haplochromis2

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Malawi Eyebiter. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

Start a free diary

You might also like

Livingstoni CichlidVenustus Cichlid
our little thank-you jar

Like what we are building? Buy Archy a bone.

All of this is free for everyone, with a source on every fact, and it will never show ads. It was a big job to build, so if it helped you, buy Archy a bone. Any amount is lovely, and no is a perfectly fine answer too.

Archy is our Australian Cattle Dog and chief taste tester. Tips go to 4V3D OÜ, the small family studio behind Furry Diary.

Buy Archy a bone

Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at support@furrydiary.app and we will fix it.

  1. FishBase species summary: Dimidiochromis compressiceps fishbase.seused for distribution, size, water parameters, diet, IUCN status, taxonomy
  2. Wikipedia: Dimidiochromis compressiceps en.wikipedia.orgused for common names, colours, history, fun facts (secondary)
  3. Seriously Fish: Dimidiochromis compressiceps seriouslyfish.comused for aquarium care, tank size, behaviour, diet, colours, breeding

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.