Lobocheilos species are specialised grazers of periphyton, benthic algae, and other organisms which grow attached to rocks and other solid surfaces, and they typically leave visible scrape marks in places where they have been feeding.

They are by no means herbivorous and should be offered meaty foods such as live or frozen chironomid larvae (bloodworm), Tubifex, Artemia, chopped prawn, etc., along with good quality, sinking dried products, at lea…

H. malcolmi is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: 12-17 (usually 14-15) rakers on first gill arch; usually 16 circumpeduncular scale rows; less than 30 lateral line scales; some branched lateral line canals, but branching not extensive, median portion of dorsal-fin dark.