LAKE MALAWI CICHLIDS.
Order Perciformes
Family Cichlidae
Subfamily ( Pseudocrenilabrinae )
Genus Gephyrochromis.
— Gephyrochromis lawsi [Fryer, 1957]. Lake Malawi – rocky biotopes. Mbuna group cichlids. 9-15 cm, females are smaller. The male has a purple body, yellowish-bronze to orange back, bluish belly, and the lower part of the head is black. 7 dark stripes run across the body. Dorsal fin is yellow, anal fin is blackish with orange spots. Females are lighter, brownish-gray, sometimes with a slight purple tint, belly is silvery, dorsal fin is light, anal and tail fins are dark. Peaceful, do not show aggression, can be kept in a general aquarium. Place rock formations in the aquarium to create shelters. Females mouthbrood eggs. T 24-26°С; dH 8-25°; pH 7.0-8.5.
— Gephyrochromis moorii [Boulenger, 1901]. Synonym: Christyella nyasana. (English – Yellow Tailed Violet Cichlid). Northern part of Lake Malawi – sandy biotopes. Representative of the Mbuna group. 12 cm. Body and fins are blue. Intraspecific aggression is quite weak. However, there is usually one dominant male in the group. Appropriate in spacious aquariums with an abundance of caves and other rocky decorations. Large flat stones are placed along the back and side walls in the form of pyramids, creating many caves connected by passages. These shelters are necessary for the fish, as they like to spend part of their time in caves.
Thanks to the large number of stones, the fish do not dig pits even during spawning, but lay eggs directly on the stones. In the same stones after spawning, the female with eggs in her mouth can easily hide from the ongoing courtship of the male. Effective filtration, regular water changes. Females mouthbrood eggs. T 24-26°С; dH 8-25°; pH 7-9.
Identification: Genus Gephyrochromis.
Genus Hemitilapia.
— Hemitilapia oxyrhyncha, oxyrhynchus [Boulenger, 1902]. Synonym: Tilapia, Hemitilapia oxyrhynchus. (English – Giant Haplochromis). Lake Malawi – transitional biotope from rocky to sandy zones overgrown with aquatic vegetation. Utaka group cichlids. 20-25 cm, female is smaller. Snout pointed with developed teeth. Male is gray-blue with six transverse dark stripes, red speckles, and a white-orange border on the fins. There are three dark spots on the upper half of the body, with the last one located on the caudal peduncle. With age, these spots blur and are absent in dominant males.
Anal fin is red-brown with spots. Green, yellow, and orange flecks are scattered across the caudal fin. Dorsal fin extends almost to the end of the tail. Female is olive-brown with dark brown spots on the back. A typical black spot is located on the caudal peduncle. Highly aggressive, males will fight with males, and harassment of females is not uncommon. They should be kept in a harem of 1 male to 2-3 females. Not recommended to keep with Aulonocara. It is mandatory to plant Vallisneria, among which this Hemitilapia lives and breeds. Of all foods, they prefer plant-based ones. Spirulina flakes are used in feeding. The female incubates eggs in her mouth. dH 10-20°; pH 7-8; T 23-27°С.
Iodotropheus sprengerae, Iodotropheus stuartgranti.
