Neolamprologus similis is a shell-dwelling cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is only known along the shores of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. N. similis is copper coloured with vertical white stripes running from the head to near the base of the tail. It typically grows to a length of 4.3 centimetres (1.7 in) TL. It is a popular freshwater aquarium fish.