[2][3] The species is endemic to littoral zones on the east, Mozambique coastline of Lake Malawi, south of Chuanga.

[3][4] The species is popular in the fishkeeping hobby and is frequently kept in cichlid aquariums.

[5][6] In the aquarium trade, the fish is known as the bluegray mbuna or the electric blue johanni.

The coloration of males is a combination of blue to purple and black, with one blue line running across the forehead, over the top of the eye and along the body above the mid-line, a second line appears below the mid-line.

[8] This fish is an mbuna cichlid that lives in alkaline water with the PH of 7 to 9.