 Recreating a Lake Malawi biotope to host cichlids became quite popular in the aquarium hobby.Most Malawi cichlids are found in relatively shallow coastal waters, but "Diplotaxodon" has been recorded down to depths of and several (especially "Diplotaxodon", "Rhamphochromis" and "Copadichromis quadrimaculatus") are known from pelagic waters.The cichlids of the lake are divided into two groups and the vast majority of the species are haplochromines.