The sole member of the genus Aristochromis, the Malawi Hawk is endemic to Lake Malawi in Africa. These fish are widely distributed throughout the lake but tend to inhabit the intermediate zones between the rocky shoreline and the sandy bottom of the lake. The defining characteristic of this species is its sloped nose which gives it an “aristocratic” appearance. These fish are fairly dull in coloration and the fins are often colorless except for the egg spots exhibited on the anal fin in males of the species. Most specimens also exhibit a dark black stripe running horizontally along the body from head to tail.