Cichlidae

Venustus

Nimbochromis venustus

Partially buried in sand to ambush prey

• Tropical
• Local endemic species
• Single-lake endemic
• Freshwater fish
• Africa
• Medium
• Tropical fish

Nimbochromis venustus, commonly called venustus hap or giraffe hap, is a Haplochromine cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi in Africa. It prefers the deeper regions of the lake (6 to 23 metres (20 to 75 ft)) where it hunts smaller juvenile cichlids with a specialised hunting technique. After spotting prey, it will partially submerge itself into the sand and lie motionless until the chosen fish comes within reach.