Malawi Squeaker (Diet, Habitat, and Intriguing Facts)

Malawi Squeaker is a type of upside-down catfish that lives only in Lake Malawi.

People catch this fish for food and also keep it as a pet in aquariums.

During the day, Malawi squeaker fish stays near rocks.

During the night, it moves around in search of food. Its diet includes insects, crustaceans, and other small creatures.

This fish has a bony head. Because of its bony head, it’s not sold in markets in Malawi, where it’s quite common.

However, it’s a popular food among local fishermen. This fish is sold in the town of Kyela.

You can check out what this fish looks like over here.

Malawi Squeaker Interesting Facts

Malawi squeaker is a type of upside-down catfish that is found in Lake Malawi.
It can grow up to 19.2 centimeters long and feeds on insects, crustaceans, and other small creatures.
This species is sometimes caught for commercial fisheries in the area and is also popularly kept as an aquarium fish.
Despite being a common local food item, its bony head makes it less desirable for consumption, and so it’s not marketed locally in Malawi.

Malawi squeaker fish lives in Lake Malawi, which is located in Africa.

It’s a freshwater fish that swims close to the bottom of the lake (benthopelagic).

The water in its habitat has a pH range of 7.5 to 8.2 and a hardness (dH) range of 20 to 30.

This fish prefers water temperatures between 68°F to 73.4°F (20°C to 23°C). The Malawi squeaker is a tropical fish.

Size: 7.6 inches (19.2 centimeters)

The maximum length a Malawi squeaker fish can reach is 7.6 inches (19.2 centimeters).

This is measured using the standard length method, which measures from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail base.

Malawi squeaker fish is oviparous, which means it lays eggs to reproduce.

During the breeding process, this fish forms distinct pairs, where a male and female mate together.