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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Polystigma hap
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Variations

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Polystigma hap

Nimbochromis polystigma · Polystigma, Leopard hap, Nimbochromis polystigma

Aggressive to small fish.

Shops often call the venustus the "giraffe hap". This page is the polystigma, a different fish.

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23 cmAdult size ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.5–8.5pH ✓
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Not recommended
  • Polystigma hap eats animals up to about 12 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like polystigma hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Polystigma hap eats animals up to about 12 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like polystigma hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Polystigma hap eats animals up to about 12 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like polystigma hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like polystigma hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like polystigma hap need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

37 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓10–18 dGH
Group size ✓3 or more
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 6–10 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Aggressive to small fish. Needs a very large tank and tank-mates its own size.

  • sand

Food

Quality cichlid pellets and flakes plus frozen mysis, krill and chopped fish a few times a week.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Adult males are larger than females and show stronger breeding colours.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Maternal mouthbrooder; the female carries the young in her mouth for two to three weeks before releasing them.

Pairing

One male with 3-5 females in a large tank with open sand; males guard a sand scrape or cave.

Setup

400+ L tank with a sand floor, rockwork with caves and open swimming space, hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.6) and strong filtration.

What starts it

Large water changes, varied protein foods and a dominant male displaying in a sand nest or cave.

Eggs

The female holds the brood for about two to three weeks.

Raising the fry

The female releases fry after about 3 weeks. Feed crushed flake and newly hatched brine shrimp; sort by size often as fry grow unevenly and larger siblings eat smaller ones.

Common mistakes
  • Tank too small for adults
  • Keeping with small fish that become food
  • Not sorting fry by size
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Malawi
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi
HabitatWeedy and rocky areas
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the polystigma hap

A Lake Malawi piscivore covered in many dark spots (polystigma means "many spots"); it hunts in pairs or groups, and a lone fish sometimes ambushes prey by lying still on the bottom. Local fishers call Nimbochromis "Kaligono" (sleeper).

Regan described this predator in 1922, originally in Haplochromis. It is a close relative of the livingstoni and venustus. It hunts small fish by stalking them among plants and rocks.

First described by C. Tate Regan in 1922. Named for Polystigma means 'many spots'.

  • Its many brown spots give it the name 'polystigma'.
  • It is an ambush predator of small fish.
  • Males develop shiny blue colouring when breeding.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources