This fish has a unique way of protecting her young from predators

Mouthbrooding, or oral incubation, is a form of parental care in which the mother or father will carry their eggs inside of their mouth. There are all kinds of species that are mouthbrooders, but it is most commonly exhibited among fish. Either the father or mother will carry the eggs around in their mouth, and are unable to eat until the young hatch. Once they do, mouthbrooding ceases as the fry are able to swim on their own. In some rare cases, the parents will still allow their young to swim inside their mouths, usually to offer protection from dangerous predators.

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Check out Malawi and the Lake of Stars, now available on the Love Nature app:

Journey to the shores of the cradle of humankind. Lake Malawi, one of the largest lakes in Africa is a flourishing underwater ecosystem. See how the thousands of species of cichlid fish make for colourful constellations in the Lake of Stars.

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