[1] It prefers areas near rocks in water shallower than 50 m (160 ft), but it also occurs deeper (not beyond the oxygen limit) and over a sandy or muddy bottom.

[3] After hatching, the young mostly eat trophic (unfertilized) egg that their mother lays, but they also take invertebrates that the father brings to them in his mouth.

The young kampango only leave the protection of their parents when around 12 cm (4.7 in) long, but before that most have typically already been eaten by egg- and fry-stealing cichlids like Mylochromis melanonotus and Pseudotropheus crabro.

Fresh kampango are usually filleted and deep-fried, barbecued, or cooked with tomato and onion as a traditional Malawian dish, served with nsima.

Traditionally regarded as one of the most widespread and common fish in its range, the kampango has declined drastically because of overfishing and is now considered critically endangered by the IUCN.