Bathybates ferox
Bathybates ferox is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is Lake Tanganyika where it lives in shallow water and is exclusively piscivorous. The IUCN has assessed it as being a "least-concern species". Description. "Bathybates ferox" is a fairly deep-bodied cichlid with a silvery body with blue markings. The mouth is large and the teeth are sharp and conical. The maximum total length of this fish is about . Distribution. "Bathybates ferox" is endemic to Lake Tanganyika, being found  in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Tanzania and Zambia. It is sometimes found in the aquarium industry where it is considered aggressive and challenging to keep. It does best in very hard water with a pH of 8.6 and a temperature of about . Ecology. "Bathybates ferox" is a piscivore, chasing and feeding on smaller fish. Like other cichlids, "Bathybates ferox" is a mouth-brooder. The eggs, with a diameter of , are some of the largest in the family Cichlidae. Status. "Bathybates ferox" is found only in Lake Tanganyika where it is described as widespread and abundant. It is a  benthic species living in warm shallow water, possibly at depths down to about . No specific threats have been identified, and the main threats it faces are from the lowering of the water quality due to pollution, disturbance to the habitat and over-fishing. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the conservation status of this fish as being of "least concern".