TankMatesTankMates
Sign in
Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Malawi eye-biter
★New · no ratings yetPicture coming

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Malawi eye-biter

Dimidiochromis compressiceps · Compressiceps, Eye-biter, Eye biter, Dimidiochromis compressiceps, Malawi eyebiter

Predatory and best with large peaceful fish; will eat anything it can swallow.

Local price coming soon
· real AED shop prices, never conversions
25 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
257 LSmallest tank ✓
Add to my tankCompare
Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Malawi eye-biter eats animals up to about 12 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like malawi eye-biter need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Malawi eye-biter eats animals up to about 12 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like malawi eye-biter need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Malawi eye-biter eats animals up to about 12 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like malawi eye-biter need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like malawi eye-biter 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 malawi eye-biter need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: 7.8–8.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

33 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 ✓10–25 dGH
Group size ✓4 or more
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 6–10 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Predatory and best with large peaceful fish; will eat anything it can swallow.

Food

Meaty foods: cichlid pellets, frozen krill, silverside and mysis.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Adult males are much more colourful (metallic blue, with red and orange on the fins) and larger; females are mainly plain silver.

Health

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

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Polygamous maternal mouthbrooder; one male with 3-6 females. The female picks up the eggs and is fertilised via egg spots on the male's anal fin, then carries the brood for about 3 weeks. Not easy.

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

Usually 40-100 eggs (up to 250), carried for around 3 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
HabitatVallisneria weed beds over sand
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the malawi eye-biter

A flat-sided stalking predator from Lake Malawi that hides head-down among Vallisneria and swallows small fish tail-first. It is named for eating the eyes of other fish, but this is rare in the wild and almost never happens with well-fed aquarium fish.

Boulenger described this flat-bodied predator in 1908. Its common name comes from reports that it attacks the eyes of other fish, though it mainly eats small fish whole. Its extremely thin body helps it hide among plants.

First described by George A. Boulenger in 1908.

  • Its body is so compressed it looks almost flat from the front.
  • It hunts by hiding head-down among water plants.
  • The 'eye-biter' reputation is based on limited reports.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources