Nimbochromis venustus

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Nimbochromis venustus, commonly abbreviated to venustus, is a cichlid native to Lake Malawi in Africa. It prefers the deeper regions of Lake Malawi where it hunts smaller juvenile cichlids with a specialised hunting technique. After spotting prey, it will partially submerge itself into the sand and lay dormant until the chosen fish comes within reach. The adult venustus will then dart out of the sand and strike. It's closest relitive is the Nimbochromis livingstonii.

It is a popular freshwater aquarium fish which grows between 8 and 12 inches in length. Due to it’s size and aggressive nature, it should be kept in aquariums of around 300 litres in capacity with other large freshwater fish such as parrot cichlid and other large Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika cichlids. It prefers rocky environments, and a well kept specimen may live for 12 years. The venustus typically has a yellow and black spotted colouration males have a hint of blue on the head and fins.Eggwiki 03:15, 29 January 2007 (UTC)