CICHLIDS OF LAKE TANGANYIKA.
Order Perciformes ( Perciformes )
Family Cichlidae ( Cichlidae )
Subfamily ( Pseudocrenilabrinae )
Genus Chalinochromis.
Fish are peaceful, but males can be aggressive toward each other. You can keep a pair formed from juveniles or 1 male with several females in a general aquarium with a fine sandy substrate, with other cichlid species from Lake Tanganyika, rocks imitating a rocky shore, caves, and a small number of plants. Fish are indifferent to plants, which can serve as shelter for young specimens.
This species is monogamous, forms pairs, and spawns in shelters. The male is smaller, more slender, and lighter colored. Males guard a small territory around the nest, while females remain inside. All species of Chalinochromis are prone to a disease associated with iodine deficiency in water and food. In this case, they develop a characteristic goiter. The use of water-soluble iodine preparations makes it possible to treat and control the development of the disease. All members of the genus spawn on the substrate in caves. The genera Julidochromis and Chalinochromis are closely related. The presence of “bumps” on the lips in Chalinochromis is the main distinction that separates them from Julidochromis.
— Chalinochromis brichardi [Poll, 1974] — Brichard’s Chalinochromis. Lake Tanganyika – rocky biotopes. 8-12 cm, females are smaller. Body elongated, cylindrical, pelvic fins pointed. Caudal fin is rounded and slightly curved inward or even slightly forked depending on the age of the animals. Coloration is beige-cream with 3-4 coffee-colored lines on the head and a spot at the end of the dorsal fin, belly whitish.
On the operculum, there is a black spot connected by a black stripe passing through the eyes to another spot on the opposite operculum. Another 2 black stripes encircle the forehead. This species differs from other members of its genus in that adults do not have stripes on the body. The dorsal fin is light blue with an orange border and often with a large black spot in the rear part. The dorsal fin and caudal fin have yellow spots. Males are leaner, lighter colored. Adult males have a small fatty growth on the frontal part of the head.
Females are larger, fuller. Adults have no body stripes at all, whereas juveniles up to a certain length (2.5 cm) have longitudinal stripes on the body. These continuous stripes become increasingly inconspicuous and broken with age, turning into a dot pattern. Juveniles up to about 10 cm are grayish-brown with vertical striations along the base of the dorsal fin, with two black longitudinal stripes on the sides that disappear at about 6 months of age, leaving only the characteristic head pattern.
The aquarium should contain cave-like shelters and crevices between rocks, obligatorily with a sandy substrate. Fish are indifferent to plants, which can serve as shelter for young or subdominant specimens. Fish are territorial, with characteristic intraspecific and interspecific aggressiveness. Acquire a group of 6-8 young fish and, after the males divide the territories, remove the excess ones, as fatal fights are possible. They feel better when kept in pairs, and obligatorily only one male.
Aeration, filtration, and water changes are necessary. Fish react sensitively to the deterioration of keeping conditions: coloration darkens, a goiter forms at the throat, fish lose weight and die. Stable hydrochemical conditions ensure normal life activity and coloration of the fish. It is advisable to iodize the water (1-2 drops per 10 l of water). They feed on Artemia, mosquito larvae, Daphnia, or other live and frozen food. They also eagerly eat flakes and other dry food.
They mature at 12-18 months. Spawning is in pairs within shelters. In the aquarium, this can be a flowerpot turned upside down or a sufficiently large empty sea shell. Parents guard the offspring and territory. Juveniles grow very slowly. After the parents begin preparing for a new clutch, the juveniles are driven out of the parental nest. dH 10-20°; pH 7.8-9.0; T 24-26°C.
Identification: Brichard’s Chalinochromis — Chalinochromis brichardi.
— Chalinochromis popelini [Brichard, 1989] — Popelin’s Chalinochromis. Lake Tanganyika. Reaches 12 cm, females slightly smaller. Body color is mostly gray with a blue border around the fins. Adult animals have two horizontal stripes on both sides of the body. A third dark stripe is at the base of the dorsal fin. Adult males have a small fatty growth on the frontal part of the head, which, combined with the characteristic shape of the genital papilla, distinguishes males from females.
Unlike C. bifrenatus, C. popelini has a melanin pattern consisting of two dark horizontal stripes on the body and one dark horizontal stripe at the base of the dorsal fin. Juveniles are colored identically to adults.
The aquarium should contain cave-like shelters and crevices between rocks with a sandy substrate. Fish are indifferent to plants. It displays quite aggressive intraspecific behavior, which is often directed toward representatives of other genera. It is best to start with a small group of young fish (5-6) and then leave the formed pair. Only in large aquariums can several pairs be placed. Aeration, regular water changes. Feed with small invertebrates. Eggs are laid in the crevices of a vertical rock. T 25-27°C; pH 7.8-8.5; dH 10-20°.
Ctenochromis benthicola, horei, polli.
Callochromis macrops, melanostigma, pleurospilus. 
