Cyprichromis zonatus, a new cichlid species, is described on the basis of 21 specimens from the Zambian coast of Lake Tanganyika. It differs from its congeners, Cyprichromis leptosoma, Cyprichromis microlepidotus, and Cyprichromis pavo, by having 39–43 scales in longitudinal line (vs 57–71 in C. microlepidotus), 29–36 upper lateral line scales (vs 49–60 in C. microlepidotus), usually 14 or 15 dorsal fin spines (vs 12 or 13 in C. leptosoma, usually 16 in C. pavo), a generally deeper body (24.5–30.3% SL vs 23.1–26.2% in C. microlepidotus, 24.5–26.4% in C. pavo), deeper caudal peduncle (9.9–11.1% SL vs 8.4–9.9% in C. microlepidotus, 9.3–9.9% in C. pavo), longer pectoral fin (27.1–33.0% SL vs 23.1–27.4% in C. leptosoma, 23.0–27.3% in C. microlepidotus), caudal fin dichromatism absent (vs blue and yellow dichromatism in male C. leptosoma), and three or four distinct vertical bands beneath the dorsal fin base in live males (vs absent or very indistinct in other species).