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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Neolamprologus mustax 'Kombe'.jpg Neolamprologus mustax 'Mbita Island'.jpg Neolamprologus mustax 'Moliro'.jpg Neolamprologus mustax 'Mulyma'.jpg Neolamprologus mustax 'Mutondwe (Crocodile) Island'.jpg
Previous pageNext pageNeolamprologus mustax 'Moliro'
Tribe / Genus: Lamprologini / Neolamprologus
Type locality: Cape Nundo, Lake Tanganyika, Zambia
Biotope: Rocky habitats, usually at greater depths. The species typically inhabits deeper rocky environments, most often below 20 m.
Geographic distribution: Occurs along almost the entire Zambian shoreline of Lake Tanganyika. The species is absent only from the section between Chituta Bay and the Kalambo River. On the western side of the lake, the distribution continues northwards into the Democratic Republic of Congo, reaching as far as Moliro.
Typical adult size: Reaches around 9 cm total length in the wild. In aquarium conditions it may grow slightly larger, up to about 10 cm.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are larger than females. Otherwise, there are no clear visual differences between the sexes.
Recommended aquarium size: 300 liters.
Aquarium setup: A large aquarium is required despite the relatively small size of the species, due to strong intraspecific aggression and weak territorial defense against larger, more aggressive lamprologines.
The aquarium should contain plenty of rocks arranged to create numerous caves and passages. This species should not be kept together with aggressive lamprologine cichlids.
Diet: Carnivorous. Feeds on various invertebrates picked from crevices and from the aufwuchs.
Individuals larger than about 5 cm are often observed feeding within the territories of Variabilichromis moorii, while smaller individuals are absent from these areas, likely due to intolerance related to coloration.
Breeding: Breeding in aquarium conditions is more difficult than in related species such as Neolamprologus leleupi, N. longior and N. cylindricus.
Eggs are deposited on the underside of a rock or inside a cave. Clutch size is relatively small, usually between 20 and 50 eggs. The female remains near the eggs until the fry become free-swimming, while the male almost never returns to the nest after spawning.
Aggression: Highly aggressive within the species. Males are also notably aggressive towards females, which necessitates a large aquarium with ample hiding spaces.
Special notes: North of Moliro and extending to the Lunangwa River, a form considered intermediate between Neolamprologus leleupi and N. mustax is encountered. This form is referred to by African Diving as N. sp. 'Leleupi Blue Chin'.
Reports by Konings mention N. mustax-like fishes from Kiku; however, specimens from this locality closely resemble N. sp. 'leleupi kapampa', which is also regarded as an intermediate form between N. leleupi and N. mustax, rather than true N. mustax.

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Photo: © Ad Konings
Photo: © Ad Konings
Photo: © African Diving Ltd
Photo: © African Diving Ltd
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