The Chalinochromis brichardi owes its name from Belgian, Pierre Brichard. Brichard was responsible for exports from the lake as early as 1971, and the publishing of the first good book on Tanganyikan cichlids. While "Fishes of Lake Tanganyika" is dated now, it is still a great reference. The C. brichardi lacks any body striping as an adult, which differentiates it from other Chalinochromis. They dine of small crustaceans, insect larvae, and other live food that live in the aufwuchs. In eating this food, they also ingest sediment algae and sand. In the aquarium they can be fed on mysis shrimp, krill, flakes, pellets, mosquito larvae and artemia (brine shrimp)