''Haplochromis azureus'' is a species of

haplochromine __NOTOC__ The haplochromine cichlids are a tribe of cichlids in subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae called Haplochromini. This group includes the type genus (''Haplochromis'') plus a number of closely related genera such as '' Aulonocara'', '' Astat ...

cichlid Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this ...

which is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to groups of islands in the middlepart of the Speke Gulf in the Tanzanian part

Lake Victoria Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...

. It is restricted to areas of steep, rocky beds where the females and non breeding males congregate in shoals which are often mixed with ''

Haplochromis nyererei ''Haplochromis nyererei'' is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Victoria in Africa. This species can reach a length of SL. The specific name honours Julius Nyerere Julius Kambarage Nyerere (; 13 April 1922 – 14 October 1999) was a ...

''. The breeding males are territorial and they are polygynous female

mouthbrooders Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a va ...

with only the female caring for the eggs and fry. They feed on

zooplankton Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...

References

{{Taxonbar, From = Q6416725 azureus azurea Fish described in 1998