Paretroplus dambabe is an endangered species of cichlid from the Mahavavy du Sud river basin, including Lake Kinkony, in northwestern Madagascar.[1] It has declined drastically due to habitat loss, invasive species and over-fishing.[1] This relatively large and deep-bodied Paretroplus reaches almost 19cm (07inches) in length.[1] Although collected as early as the 1960s, it was long confused with P. petiti and therefore only described as a species in 2002.[1]
This tends to be an aggressive cichlid, especially during mating. It is important that at least 6 individuals are kept. Otherwise, the risk of having one fish being picked on and killed will increase. They are very easily susceptible to disease Ich.