It shares this name with other Nimbochromis species due to their hunting technique, which involves lying motionless on the bottom, sometimes on its side as if feigning death, until small fish approach to investigate, then pouncing on the prey.
This common name is shared among various Nimbochromis species because of their hunting strategy. They lie still at the bottom, often in a lateral position as though feigning death, waiting for small fish to approach before swiftly capturing them.