Fish
Bumblebee Cichlid
Pseudotropheus crabro · also called bumblebee mbuna
Wearing the bold yellow-and-black bands of its insect namesake, a bumblebee cichlid drifts close to a mouthbrooding female, its catfish-like resemblance potentially the key to sneaking near enough to snatch an egg before she reacts.
Overview
The bumblebee cichlid, Pseudotropheus crabro, is a boldly banded, rock-dwelling fish endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. Its yellow-and-black colouring resembling both its insect namesake and a local bottom-dwelling catfish, opportunistic egg predation on other mouthbrooding cichlids, and own maternal mouthbrooding breeding strategy make it one of the more behaviourally intriguing members of Lake Malawi’s diverse mbuna group.
A disguise that doubles as a hunting tool
The bumblebee cichlid’s resemblance to an unrelated catfish species may be more than coincidence, since this similarity could help it slip close to mouthbrooding females of other cichlid species without raising the same alarm a more obviously predatory fish would trigger.
Status
Least Concern, though restricted entirely to Lake Malawi, where it remains present across suitable rocky shoreline habitat.
Bumblebee Cichlid: common questions
How did the bumblebee cichlid get its name?
This species has bold yellow-and-black banding across the body, a pattern that closely resembles the colouring of its insect namesake, giving rise to a common name that captures its striking appearance at a glance.
Why does the bumblebee cichlid's pattern resemble a catfish?
This species' banded pattern closely resembles that of a bottom-dwelling catfish sharing the same lake habitat, a resemblance that may help it approach mouthbrooding cichlid females without triggering the same alarm response as an obviously predatory cichlid would.
Does the bumblebee cichlid eat other cichlids' eggs?
Yes, this species has been observed opportunistically preying on eggs directly from the mouths of mouthbrooding cichlid females, a specialised and unusual feeding behaviour thought to be aided by its catfish-like resemblance allowing it to approach undetected.
Does the bumblebee cichlid protect its own eggs the same way?
Yes, females of this species are themselves maternal mouthbrooders, carrying fertilised eggs and newly hatched young inside the mouth for protection through much of early development, the very same strategy it opportunistically exploits in other cichlid species.