Haplochromine

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The haplochromine cichlids, subfamily Haplochrominae, are a grouping of genera including Haplochromis plus a number of closely related genera (such as Aulonocara, Astatotilapia, and Chilotiplapia) endemic to eastern and southern Africa. Haplochromines inhabit both rivers and lakes, but it is the lake species that have been most closely studied because of the species flocks known from some of the larger lakes, such as Lake Malawi. Haplochromines are therefore typically divided into four groups:^[1]

• Riverine species and those endemic to the northern Great Lakes such as Lake Kivu and Lake Victoria.
• Haplochromines endemic to Lake Malawi other than the mbuna.
• The mbuna, endemic to Lake Malawi.
• Haplochromines endemic to Lake Tanganyika.

Among aquarists, the term "haplochromines" is often used exclusively to refer to the open-water, often predatory species as opposed to the predominantly herbivorous rock-dwelling mbuna.^{[citation needed]}

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