LAKE MALAWI CICHLIDS.
Order Perciformes
Family Cichlidae
Subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae
Genus Sciaenochromis.
— Sciaenochromis fryeri [Konings, 1993] — Electric Blue Haplochromis, Fryer’s Cichlid, Jackson’s Blue Ahli. Synonym: Sciaenochromis ahli; Haplochromis ahli. (Eng.: Electric Blue Haplochromis, Blue Ahli). Lake Malawi, rocky biotopes. 20 cm, in aquarium 10-15 cm. Its coloration strikes with the saturation and depth of the dominant electric blue color.
Males have a surprisingly bright blue coloration. During spawning or stress, 6-9 dark vertical stripes appear. The glossy blue male has a wide white border on the dorsal fin and a shiny head crest, larger than the female. The intensity of the male’s blue coloration is highlighted by the elongated fin. The anal fin is yellow or red-orange. There may be a bright white stripe on the forehead, from the edge of the upper lip to the beginning of the dorsal fin. The southern population of Lake Malawi is distinguished by the presence of a white border in the upper part of the dorsal fin.
The striking brightness of the blue color, unusual for the living world, is retained by adult males throughout their lives, noticeably intensifying during moments of irritation, aggression, and spawning activity. The female is grey-brown with a bluish tint and poorly defined vertical body striping. She has a blue color on her head and jaws. The dorsal and anal fins are rounded.
Females are smaller and, like fry, demonstrate protective coloration, sometimes showing a faded blue color upon maturation. Juveniles are silvery-brown with vertical stripes. Depending on maintenance conditions, at 3-5 months of age, males begin to develop a white border on the dorsal fin, and from 5-7 months they begin to acquire first a light blue and then a dark blue coloration, which reaches its apogee after one to two years.
There are several geographical races, differing in body height and coloration nuances. In particular, the silvery crest on the back of males in some races is weakly expressed, while in others it is wide, sparkling, reaching the caudal fin. Some are slender and glossy, while others are high-bodied with vague transverse striping. Males in the southern part of the lake are much lighter, while those in the north are smaller in size. Females of certain forms also differ from each other in color.
Unscrupulous breeders sell so-called painted fish. They are treated with the male sex hormone, methyltestosterone. Already at a size of 4 cm, they have a bright blue coloration, and it seems that there are no females among them. They eat and grow very poorly. There is little chance of growing fully developed, healthy adult fish from them.
Similar to Sciaenochromis ahli. They differ in that the males of S. ahli are colored much more modestly. The body of the former, although having blue tones, is not as bright as in S. fryeri. S. fryeri may have a bright white stripe on the forehead in its coloration and look more “roman-nosed” compared to S. ahli. S. ahli are higher-bodied, while S. fryeri has an elongated, torpedo-like shape. In S. fryeri, the anal fin is red-orange or bright red, and there are no egg-spots. Unlike S. ahli, the white rim on the dorsal fin is much wider.
Color morphs: — S. fryeri “Iceberg” – mature males are snow-white in the upper part of the body and have a beautiful orange anal fin. The caudal fin has a white rim; — S. fryeri “Maleri Island” – the upper part of the body is white;
It has a rather docile character, allowing them to get along well with neighbors of other species of approximately equal size and temperament. In nature, they lead a solitary lifestyle, never observed in pairs or small groups. In principle, you can keep a pair of fish, but it is better to form a harem group or even a small school with a significant numerical predominance of females. 4 or more females per male.
Except for the breeding period, the fish are not territorial, and therefore you can keep many brightly colored males in the same aquarium together with other “Utaka” species and some “Mbuna”. They should not be combined with Aulonocara, because they are very similar in color and shape. Predators that will eat small fish.
A spacious aquarium from 250 liters is required with a large number of multi-level rock structures, an abundance of variously sized shelters that must be stable so that females or weak males can hide in them. Large flat stones in the form of pyramids are laid along the back and side walls, creating many caves connected by passages. These shelters are necessary for the fish, as females like to spend part of their time in a cave. Sandy, gravelly, or pebble substrate without sharp corners.
Due to the large number of stones, the fish do not dig pits even during spawning, but spawn directly on the stones. In the same stones after spawning, a female with eggs in her mouth can easily hide from the ongoing courtship of the male. At a size of more than 7 cm, they will eradicate all live plants. They stay in the middle and lower layers of water. The water should be alkaline and moderately hard, clean, and with powerful filtration. Very sensitive to elevated nitrate levels.
Food should be nutritious and of good quality. It is best, of course, to feed with live food. The diet should consist of 80% animal and 20% plant food. Prone to overeating, so you need to clearly dose food and not forget about a fasting day. They mature at 10-14 months at a length of 7-12 cm. Very aggressive during the spawning period. Immediately after spawning, the male leaves the female, and the female incubates the eggs in her mouth. They live 5-7 years. pH 7.5-8.5; dH 9-19°; T 25-28°C.
Genus Taeniolethrinops, Genus Trematocranus, Genus Tramitichromis.
Genus Serranochromis, Genus Stigmatochromis. 
