CICHLIDS OF LAKE MALAWI.
Order Perciformes
Family Cichlidae
Subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae
Genus Pseudotropheus
— Pseudotropheus flavus [Stauffer, 1988]. Lake Malawi. 8-10 cm. The habitat in Lake Malawi is restricted to Chinyankwazi Island. Males are very brightly colored, with bright yellow-green stripes on a dark brown body background, stretching from the head to the tail. In adult males, the green-yellow body color becomes more saturated and dark stripes are almost absent. However, the color is not constant. The saturation of yellow changes very quickly depending on the fish’s mood. Egg spots on the anal fin are pronounced in the male, barely noticeable in the female.
Females are quite the opposite, modest gray-yellow with a brownish tint. Fry have the coloration of females. The coloration of males appears at the age of about 4-5 months, at a body length of 5-6 cm. In coloration, it is very similar to Pseudotropheus elongatus, but unlike the latter, it lacks blue-black head coloration, the vertical stripes are more brown than black, and the body is deeper/shorter (less elongated).
Intraspecific aggressiveness is very high. Males are unusually territorial and defend their living area fiercely even from large cichlids. They can kill a female if the aquarium is too small or there are not enough females in the tank; therefore, there should be several females per male (3 or more). Aggression can be reduced by keeping a large group of fish together.
Build a rock reef with various large crevices that serve as shelters for females, juveniles, and subdominant males. At the same time, ensure their stability by placing them directly on the bottom glass. The sand layer on the bottom should be about 2-3 cm. Plants will be destroyed by the fish. Equip the aquarium with high-quality filtration. Fish are omnivorous; however, in nature, the diet is mainly composed of plankton and algae growing on rocks.
In nature, the main food component is algae growing on rocks. Feed with Cyclops, Artemia, small shrimp, Gammarus, spirulina-based dry foods, as well as scalded nettles and lettuce. The female incubates eggs in her mouth. Fry grow fast, on average about 1 cm per month. They live up to 10 years. T 25-26°C; pH 7.8-8.6; dH 5-15°.
Identification: Pseudotropheus flavus.
— Pseudotropheus heteropictus [Staeck, 1980]. Lake Malawi, rocky coastal biotopes. 7 cm, in aquarium 5-10 cm. Adult males are uniformly lilac-blue with 7-9 barely distinguishable brownish-gray transverse stripes. Dorsal fin with a white border; pelvic fins, outer lobes of the caudal fin, and the outer rim of the anal fin are coal-black. Both sexes have egg spots on the anal fin.
Females are bright yellow (some orange), sometimes with black fins. Females are difficult to distinguish from females of P. saulosi. Young fish are all orange, but at the age of 5-7 months, males begin to acquire a bluish coloration. Optimal sex ratio: 2 males to 4-5 females. Diet: plant matter (40%) and animal matter (60%). Excessive feeding leads to obesity. They mature in 9-11 months.
— Pseudotropheus saulosi [Konings, 1990]. (Eng. Saulosi Mbuna). Lake Malawi. 9 cm. The main coloration is yellow, and only males turn blue when they reach sexual maturity. The dominant male is bright blue with several transverse dark blue stripes on the front of the body, fading towards the tail, and coal-black longitudinal stripes on the dorsal and anal fins.
Males have a yellow spot on the anal fin. The subdominant male is grayish-pink with a bluish sheen, with pale grayish-blue transverse stripes; fins are yellow. Females are yellow-orange, developing darker transverse bars when excited. Fry and juveniles are colored orange-yellow, and males begin to show orange-purple color at a length of 4 cm.
Aggressive, fights for dominance between males can continue until the weaker one dies. Males are very territorial and rarely leave their territory. Keep this fish in small groups or one male with several females. A large number of rock shelters without sharp edges is required, preferably perforated with many hiding places. They prefer a sandy bottom where males dig a crater reaching the bottom glass of the aquarium.
To see their brightest colors and ensure regular spawning, good filtration and regular water changes are necessary. Water of medium hardness. They feed mainly on plant food, eat snails, and require spirulina supplementation. Sexual maturity after 7 months. The female incubates eggs in her mouth and cares for the offspring. T 24-28°C; pH 7.5-8.5.
— Pseudotropheus socolofi [Johnson, 1974]. (Eng. Eduard’s Mbuna, Pindani, Powder Blue Cichlid, Socolof’s Mbuna). Lake Malawi — vicinity of Chisumulu and Likoma Islands. 10-12 cm. Juveniles and adults are colored identically — in soft blue with 9 to 10 vertical black stripes. Also, some develop horizontal stripes.
Males and females have the same color and differ only in the more developed fins of the males; in addition, males are larger and more massive. Each ray of the caudal fin, the outer rays of the dorsal fin, and the first rays of the pectoral fins are dark blue. The anal fin is blue with a sweeping pitch-black base. When startled, purple spots appear on the fish’s body. The dominant male loses its lateral stripes.
A spacious aquarium with plenty of hiding places, hardy plants, and enough swimming space is required. Aggressive, keep in groups of at least 6 individuals. Dominant males are territorial within a radius of no more than 20 centimeters. Mature in 9-12 months. dH 8-25°; pH 7.2-8.5; T 24-27°C.
— Pseudotropheus williamsi [Gunther, 1894]. (Eng. Red Top Williamsi). Lake Malawi. 16 cm. Synonyms: Cromis, Tilapia williamsi. The basic coloration (in some geographic variants and in both males and females) consisting of 2 horizontal rows of dark spots is considered quite rare for Malawi cichlids.
Genus Serranochromis, Genus Stigmatochromis.
Pseudotropheus sp. “Acei”, demasoni, elongatus. 
