CICHLIDS OF LAKE MALAWI.
Order Perciformes
Family Cichlidae
Subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae
Continued…
Genus Melanochromis.
— Melanochromis dialeptos [Bowers & Stauffer, 1997] — Dwarf Auratus. Lake Malawi. Male 9 cm, female 7.5 cm. The body shape of dialeptos is very reminiscent of auratus, and the black race pattern of dialeptos is also similar to its close relative. It is hard to find a more color-variable species in the genus Melanochromis than dialeptos. Depending on their habitat in the aquatic depths of Lake Malawi, males of this species can range in color from rich blue to velvety black. In the coloration of the latter, unlike the former, two thin light stripes along the body are clearly visible — one runs almost in the middle of the body, and the second divides the black back into two longitudinal black stripes.
Males are usually dark with two light-yellow horizontal stripes and a yellow stripe along the edge of the dorsal fin. There are light-yellow males with three small dark stripes on the body and one wide stripe on the dorsal fin. But even in races where males have a black coloration, shades of blue are clearly visible as speckles on the body, gill covers, and fins.
Females of this species have a whitish body covered with zigzag yellow stripes, with characteristic two black lines in exact alignment with where the light lines run in males. Additional ornaments of females and fry of this species are a coal-black wide border of the dorsal fin and a bright yellow anal fin. Females are mostly similar to juveniles, but a dominant female can have a coloration similar to subdominant males. Both males and females, due to a fairly large amount of pearlescent pigment over the entire body surface with blue, yellow, and silvery shades, look like some of the most highly patterned cichlids of Lake Malawi.
This species is less aggressive than Mbuna on average. Fry of dialeptos showed a rather peaceful character, which is unusual for Melanochromis of the auratus type. Feeding should be mixed, varied, with a slight inclination towards vegetarianism, as dialeptos belongs to herbivorous species. pH 7.4-8.4.
— Melanochromis elastodema [Bowers & Stauffer, 1997] — Melanochromis elastodema. Lake Malawi. Males up to 12 cm, females up to 8 cm. This species differs from Melanochromis johannii by a taller body and color nuances. The color palette contains the same colors as M. johannii, but there are additional vertical dark blue stripes crossing the longitudinal ones (7-8 in number), creating a checkered pattern effect on the fish’s body together with the longitudinal stripes.
In the beige-brown female, additional vertical brownish strokes start from the fish’s back and end just below the longitudinal stripe running approximately in the central part of the body. Vertical stripes in both sexes are slightly more pronounced in the central part of the body.
They produce rather inconspicuous pinkish-gray offspring. Males are aggressive towards each other, territorial. One male and several females can be kept in a general aquarium with other peaceful cichlid species of the same size. The aquarium should have large flat stones, stone structures reaching the water surface, and cave shelters, the number of which should exceed the number of females. Food: vegetable (60%) and animal (40%). Maturity is reached at 8-10 months. dH 8-20°, pH 7.5-8.5, T 25-27°C.
— Melanochromis interruptus [Johnson, 1975] — Melanochromis interruptus. Lake Malawi. 8-9 cm. Males of this species are most often almost completely velvety blue, and in the upper part of the body have either one narrow longitudinal blue stripe, sometimes with breaks, or a longitudinal row of irregularly shaped blue spots. Females have a yellow tint. Depending on the diet, the yellow color can be sandy, bright yellow, or sometimes even orange. Interestingly, fry colored by feeding on cyclops take on different colors — some become bright orange, some become bright yellow. Specimens colored orange become males. They grow quite fast. Maturity is reached in 7-9 months.
— Melanochromis joanjohnsonae [Johnson, 1974] — Melanochromis joanjohnsonae, Pearl of Likoma. Synonym: Melanochromis exasperatus, Labidochromis exasperatus, exsasperatus, joanjohnsonae. English: Orange Lined Cichlid, Pearl of Likoma. Lake Malawi, rocky biotope. Males 9 cm, females 7 cm. Males have a pearlescent-blue attire similar to crumpled foil, and unpaired fins are of the same color. The back, upper head, and dorsal fin are shimmering, silvery-blue. The coloration is complemented by slightly noticeable strokes of various shades — blue, white, black, yellow.
Along the upper edge of the dorsal fin runs a dark blue stripe a quarter of the fin wide. Between the eyes, on the bridge of the nose, males of this species have characteristic “glasses” — a bright blue stripe bordered by two dark stripes. There are 8 faint transverse stripes along the body, which can disappear completely depending on the fish’s mood. The anal fin has carmine spots with a black-and-blue border in both sexes.
The coloration of the female is no less original and complements the male’s coloration with spots and zigzags of various shades of cream, chocolate, yellow, and silver, the shape of which is difficult to describe precisely. Fry have a characteristic reddish tint of the anal fin and carry the pearlescent effect from the first days of life, making it easy to distinguish fry of this species from fry of other species. Unfortunately, as a result of inbreeding, the original coloration has been lost: males are now mostly blue or bluish, females are brown with a greenish sheen.
Various-sized shelters are placed in the aquarium in such a number that females can hide in time from chasing males. They get along well with similar-sized and temperament cichlids and do not require large volumes. Males are aggressive towards each other. With age, they gradually acquire an unbearable character towards members of their own species and other tank neighbors. There should be 2-5 females per male. Females are aggressive only during the breeding period.
In aquarium conditions, cyclops and corethra serve as excellent foods for them, ensuring constant color brightness, despite the fact that these fish are not too picky and eat everything. Water aeration and filtration, as well as water changes, are mandatory. Fish reach maturity at 8-10 months. They spawn in the general aquarium on a smooth flat stone, or simply on the bottom if there is none.
Melanochromis johannii, perileucos, simulans, vermivorus.
Melanochromis brevis, chipokae, cyaneorhabdos. 
