All fish / Cichlidae

Big-mouth Hap

Tyrannochromis macrostoma

Also known as bigmouth hap, big mouth hap, tyrannochromis macrostoma, tyrannochromis, giant mouth hap, haplochromis macrostoma, ティラノクロミス・マクロストマ, 大嘴暴君

A large predatory hap from Lake Malawi with a very wide mouth and a dark stripe running along the flank on a pale body. Mature males turn metallic blue with yellow and red edging on the fins. Keepers value it as an impressive centrepiece for big Malawi cichlid tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.5 to 8.6

Smallest tank

800 litres

Keep as

One male with several females

Diet

Carnivore: quality cichlid pellets, krill, prawn, mussel and white fish

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania)

Breeding

It is a maternal mouthbrooder, and the female carries the eggs and fry for about three weeks. Breeding is quite achievable in a very large tank with one male and several females.

Good to know

Adults reach around 25 cm or more and will eat any fish small enough to swallow, so only keep it with large, robust Malawi cichlids. It can be confused with Tyrannochromis nigriventer and similar large haps.