African Shell-dweller Cichlids are one of the smallest species within the Cichlidae family at no more than 2 inches long fully grown. Males are typically larger and have slightly longer fins compared to females when fully mature. Adult fish are light beige or brown in color with vertical stripes on the side of their bodies.

The African Shell-dweller Cichlid is endemic to (found only in a limited, restricted, and defined area or habitat) Lake Tanganyika, where it forms huge colonies with thousands of fish in shell beds. African Shell-dweller Cichlids use empty shells of large freshwater snails to hide from predators and shelter their young - they flit in and out of their homes to defend their territory but will dart inside to seek safety when startled.