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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Petrochromis sp. 'orthognathus ikola' Mabilibili.jpg Pseudosimochromis babaulti 'Mabilibili'.jpg Pseudosimochromis curvifrons 'Mabilibili'.jpg Tanganicodus irsacae 'Mabilibili'.jpg Tropheus 'Red Blotch' at Mabilibili.jpg
Previous pageNext pagePseudosimochromis curvifrons 'Mabilibili'
Tribe / Genus: Tropheini / Pseudosimochromis
Type locality: Lake Tanganyika, near Nyanza Lac, Burundi.
Biotope: Rocky habitat rich in sediment.
Geographic distribution: Widely distributed along rocky shores of Lake Tanganyika and present at most suitable localities around the lake, although never occurring in large numbers.
Typical adult size: Males up to about 14 cm total length; females remain smaller, around 11 cm.
Sexual dimorphism: Males grow larger than females. Females permanently display vertical barring, a pattern also seen in juvenile males.
Recommended aquarium size: An aquarium of at least 500 liters is recommended.
Aquarium setup: Provide a rocky setup with many stones arranged to create numerous hiding places and passages.
Due to strong male–male aggression, only one male should be kept together with several females.
Diet: Herbivorous. Feeds mainly on filamentous algae and diatoms, which are nibbled and cut from the aufwuchs.
Breeding: Maternal mouthbrooder. Spawning takes place within the male’s territory and follows the typical T-position and quivering anal-fin technique described for tropheines.
Sneaker males have been observed entering territories during spawning and fertilizing a small number of eggs. Mouthbrooding females continue to feed on aufwuchs while brooding.
Aggression: Highly aggressive, both toward conspecifics and toward other herbivorous species. Males are strongly territorial, whereas females are solitary and do not defend feeding territories.
Special notes: A cichlid of the tropheine lineage with a general body profile similar to Tropheus, but characterized by a vertical frontal profile and a narrow mouth.
Coloration is typically cream to silvery with brown vertical bands, resembling that of Simochromis diagramma. Distinct geographical color differences are described, with northern males showing a greenish hue and southern males appearing more bluish.

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Photo: © Peter Sjoborg
Photo: © Peter Sjoborg
Photo: © Peter Sjoborg
Photo: © Peter Sjoborg
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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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