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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Xenotilapia flavipinnis 'Kombe'.jpg Xenotilapia nasus 'Kombe'.jpg Xenotilapia sp. 'bathyphilus yellow' Kombe.jpg Xenotilapia spilopterus 'Kombe'.jpg
Previous pageNext pageXenotilapia sp. 'bathyphilus yellow' Kombe
Tribe / Genus: Ectodini / Xenotilapia
Biotope: Deeper sandy and muddy substrates, typically found between 20 and 100 meters depth, only rarely occurring in shallower waters.
Geographic distribution: Endemic to Lake Tanganyika, restricted to the southeastern part of the lake, from Isonga in Tanzania southwards to Kombe in Zambia. No sympatric occurrence with Xenotilapia bathyphilus has been recorded.
Typical adult size: Up to about 10 cm total length. Aquarium-reared individuals usually reach a similar size; females remain slightly smaller than males.
Sexual dimorphism: As typical for maternal mouthbrooders, males grow somewhat larger than females. Females are less intensely colored and appear more silvery with subdued markings.
Recommended aquarium size: An aquarium of at least 200 liters is recommended. Larger tanks (minimum length around 130–150 cm) allow keeping groups with more than one male.
Aquarium setup: Fine sand substrate is essential. Only a few smooth rocks should be used, leaving large open sandy areas. High water quality with efficient filtration and regular water changes is required.
Diet: Carnivorous. Feeds by sifting the upper layers of the substrate for small invertebrates, expelling non-edible material through the mouth and gills. In aquaria it readily accepts various small frozen foods and high-quality dry foods.
Breeding: Maternal mouthbrooder. Males do not construct sand-scrape territories, but spawn on cleaned spots within the habitat. Clutch size is usually 30–40 eggs. The female incubates the eggs in her mouth for about three weeks. No post-release brood care has been observed.
Aggression: Males can be territorial and aggressive towards conspecific males. In smaller aquaria it is best kept as one male with several females; multiple males require a sufficiently large tank.
Special notes: This taxon is morphologically very similar to Xenotilapia bathyphilus, but differs in coloration and behavior. The most reliable visual distinction is lip color: X. sp. 'bathyphilus yellow' has a yellow upper lip and snout, whereas X. bathyphilus shows a turquoise blue upper lip.
In addition, males of this form do not build sand turrets, unlike X. bathyphilus. The two forms have different, non-overlapping distributions and have never been observed occurring together.

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Photo: © Evert van Ammelrooy
Photo: © M. Kwolek-Mirek
Photo: © M. Kwolek-Mirek
Photo: © Richard Vilhan
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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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