[6] Its specific name honours François Pollen (1842-1888), a Dutch naturalist and merchant, who collected the type when visiting Madagascar with fellow Dutch naturalist and explorer Douwe Casparus van Dam (1827-1898).

Males in captivity develop a nuchal hump, a layer of fat above the eyes, though not to the same degree as other similar African cichlids, such as Cyphotilapia frontosa, and tilapias of Africa.

Adult and subadult dominant P. polleni individuals are jet black in color, covered with brilliant iridescent spots which shift from golden to blue depending on the movement of the fish and the angle of the light; the eye is a bright yellow.

The name Paratilapia bleekeri Sauvage, 1882, (honoring Bleeker, who described P. polleni), was revived and applied to the latter form.

[3] It inhabits a number of rivers and associated streams in northern Madagascar, including the environs of the town of Andapa, where most individuals exported for the aquarium trade in recent years were collected.

P. polleni observed hunting in the aquarium environment will sneak up on smaller fish from below during the predawn hours and suck the smaller fish into its mouth using the typical cichlid 'suction effect' caused by quickly opening its mouth.

[citation needed] P. polleni is temperature- and pH-tolerant (in the aquarium the temperature should be of 72-80°F, pH: 6.5-8.0).

As such, this fish is an ideal aquarium resident if given the appropriate environment[3] and tank mates considering its formidable stature.

[citation needed] They can be trained to eat from the hand and can recognize and approach its owner (often retreating from an unfamiliar person).