Oreochromis squamipinnis is a critically endangered species of cichlid fish that is endemic to Lake Malawi, Lake Malombe and Shire River in East Africa, where found in a wide range of habitats, but especially in shallow water.Konings, Ad (1990). Ad Konings' Book of Cichlids and all the other Fishes of Lake Malawi, pp. 90 & 345. . This species is important to local commercial fisheries and can also be found in the aquarium trade, but it has declined drastically due to overfishing.
This species can reach a standard length of . Females and immatures resemble O. karongae and O. lidole, but mature males have pale upper heads unlike mature males of those species.Oliver, M.K. (12 April 2015). Oreochromis (Nyasalapia) squamipinnis. MalawiCichlids. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
It is part of the subgenus Nyasalapia, which are known as chambo.Turner, G.F.; and R.L. Robinson (1991). Ecology, morphology and taxonomy of the Lake Malawi Oreochromis (Nyasalapia) species flock. Annales de la Musée royal de l'Afrique Centrale (Tervuren) 262: 23-28. The breeding males in this subgenus have long genital tassels (a long O. squamipinnis had tassels that were ), which somewhat resemble fish eggs. During breeding, the female attempts to pick them up with her mouth and this helps the male in fertilizing the female's eggs, already in her mouth. It mainly feeds on phytoplankton, but also eats zooplankton and detritus.
The lepidophagous cichlid Corematodus shiranus is an aggressive mimic of chambo in both color pattern and swimming mode. It is, therefore, able to approach unsuspecting schools of O. squamipinnis and rapidly take a mouthful of scales or fin.Oliver, M.K. (16 November 2000). Corematodus shiranus. MalawiCichlids. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
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