Mchenga thinos (Stauffer, Lo Vullo & McKaye 1993)

Diagnosis: yellow ocelli on anal fin of females and non-breeding males; juveniles and females with hyaline fins; breeding male without black markings in caudal fin (Ref. 57549). 10-16 gill rakers on first ceratobranchial (Ref. 57549), 4-5 on epibranchial (Ref. 27597). Teeth in outer rows on dentary and premaxilla of mature males small and bicuspid (Ref. 57549).

Male builds cone-shaped bowers in breeding arenas on the rock/sand interface at water depths of 15-25 m.

Dorsal spines (total): 16 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 12; Analsoft rays: 9

Forages in the water column, feeding mainly on zooplankton (Ref. 27597).

Mchenga thinos is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is endemic to Lake Malawi, where it is distributed lake-wide. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.