|
|
|
| Tribe/Genus: | Cyphotilapiini/Cyphotilapia |
| Habitat: | Cyphotilapia frontosa live in deep rocky habitat, usually at a depth of 20 meters or more. Juveniles can be found at somewhat shallower levels. The actual depth depends also on the population and habitat. They lives in groups. Large male who is in charge of group usually live together with several females and few smaller males. |
| Size: | Males can attain a maximum size of 35 cm and more. In aquarium they can grow even a lot larger. |
| Sex dimorphism: | Males are larger than females and usually have a larger nuchal hump, this difference becomes more pronounced with age. |
| Recommended aquarium size: | 1000 L or more |
| Aquarium setup and keeping: | Best to keep in groups in species only tank or together with other larger cichlids. For example with species from genus Lepidiolamprologus, Gnathochromis, larger Neolamprologus and others. It is not recommended to keep them with smaller cichlids, for example with species from genus Julidochromis and Cyprichromis, because these cichlids can easily become food for Cyphotilapia. Try to setup aquarium in a way to replicate their natural habitat as much as possible (dimmed light, add rocks and stones,...).
|
| Feeding: | Cyphotilapia frontosa is quite lethargic and never seems to be in a hurry. Younger species feed on soft-bodied crustaceans but adults are mainly piscivorous. The teeth on the pharyngeal bone are sharp and slender in shape, in strong contrast to the molariform dentition found in macroinvertebrate feeders. Stomach contents of wild specimens have revealed mostly remains of fish as well as mussels (Poll 1956), plus insect larvae, shrimps, and snails (Büscher 2011). Observations in captivity add credibility to the idea that Cyphotilapia frontosa is a piscivore: it can—and does—devour tank-mates that are almost half its own size. (Ad Konings, Cichlid News 2019) |
| Breeding: | Cyphotilapia frontosa breeds in a peculiar manner not known to any other maternal mouthbrooder apart from Trematochromis benthicola. Before spawning takes place the blue color of the male intensifies, in particular on the snout. Males do not dig spawning sites or defend territories. When a male and female are getting ready to spawn they do not separate from the group but look for a suitable site which is then weakly defended by the male. Without shaking or undulating his body the male slowly moves over the site, with fins folded, showing the female where to go. After the male has staged this demonstration run, the female moves in a similar fashion over the site and lays an egg. However, she does not turn around like other cichlids to pick up the egg(s) just laid, but instead moves backwards to collect them. Having done so, she does not make way for the male but continues to deposit eggs. If undisturbed she can “swing” five or six times in a row, depositing a total of up to 20 eggs, before she moves away and the male enters the site again. In all probability the male’s milt has enough “staying power” to fertilize the eggs even though it is discharged several minutes before it actually contacts them. The female has never been seen to nuzzle the male’s anal fin to ingest sperm, a common practice in other mouthbrooders. When the female has left the site the male leads her back again, and the whole process is repeated until all the eggs have been laid. The male seems never to chase the female. The eggs are brooded for about five weeks before the fry are released. (Ad Konings, Cichlid News 2019) |
| Comment: | How many species are in the Cyphotilapia genus? Answers on this question will vary depending on which author (Tanganyika expert) you ask. For Ad Konings there is only one, Cyphotilapia frontosa. For some other authors there are two, C. frontosa and C. gibberosa (C. gibberosa is valid also from scientific view) and some authors think that there is also a third species which is called C. sp. 'North' or also C. sp. '6-bar frontosa'.
tanganyika.si
Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps.
All images are used with permission of the authors. Unauthorized use is prohibited.
Quick links
By genera
By locations
Locations
Maps
Posters
Interactive map
Contact
© tanganyika.si
|