Female Cichlid Fish (IMAGE) University of Maryland Caption The female cichlid fish in Lake Malawi are generally drab and brown (top), making them inconspicuous to predators. Drs. Kocher and Roberts believe that the orange blotch color pattern (bottom) emerged as a new mutation in females, and has a selective advantage in providing an alternative form of camouflage. Credit Reade Roberts University of Maryland Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.