Lake flies and the deep‐water demersal fish community of Lake Malawi

Larvae and pupae ofChaoborus edulismay be the most important food resource of some deep‐water demersal fish species in southern Lake Malawi.C. edulisfeed on crustacean zooplankton, which in turn feed on phytoplankton. Hence, demersal fish production is supported directly by planktonic primary production, rather than through a detrital food chain.