Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps

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Neolamprologus pulcher 'Kasanga'.jpg Neolamprologus sexfasciatus 'Kasanga'.jpg Neolamprologus sp. 'ventralis kasanga' Kasanga.jpg Neolamprologus tetracanthus 'Kasanga'.jpg Ophthalmotilapia ventralis 'Kasanga'.jpg
Previous pageNext pageNeolamprologus sp. 'ventralis kasanga' Kasanga
Tribe / Genus: Lamprologini / Neolamprologus
Biotope: Occurs exclusively in deeper water, typically at depths between 20 and 60 metres (possibly deeper), in an intermediate habitat. This environment consists of sandy or muddy substrate combined with small and larger rocks that form crevices and caves.
Typical adult size: Males grow up to about 10 cm; females are usually 1–2 cm smaller.
Recommended aquarium size: 240 L
Aquarium setup: The aquarium should contain plenty of rocks arranged to create numerous caves, with fine sand as substrate. Due to pronounced intraspecific aggression, this species should be kept only as a pair.

In sufficiently large aquaria, it may be housed together with other robust Tanganyika cichlids, although the pair will vigorously defend its territory. As a deep-water species, subdued lighting is recommended.
Diet: Omnivorous. Feeds on algae, small crustaceans, insect larvae, molluscs, and occasionally small fish such as fry.
Breeding: Cave spawner. Brood size is usually fewer than 40 juveniles.
Aggression: Territorial and aggressive toward conspecifics, and defensive toward other fishes, especially during breeding. However, in captivity this species is reported to be markedly milder in temperament than N. ventralis, which has made it comparatively easier to maintain and breed.
Special notes: Neolamprologus sp. “ventralis kasanga” resembles N. ventralis but is characterised by distinctly shorter ventral fins.
Substantial differences from N. ventralis have nevertheless been reported. In N. sp. “ventralis kasanga”, both sexes have much shorter ventral fins; females are considerably smaller and less colourful than males. In contrast, in N. ventralis males and females are often similar in size and colour, or males are only slightly larger and more colourful.
Additional differences include a shorter dorsal and anal fin height, a deeper body, a shorter snout, and a lower lateral-line scale count (31–32 versus 34–36 in N. ventralis). In captivity, N. sp. “ventralis kasanga” is reported to be markedly milder in temperament than N. ventralis, which has made it comparatively easy to breed.

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Photo: © Mark Smith
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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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