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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Protomelas ornatus 'Chewere'.jpg Protomelas taeniolatus 'Chewere'.jpg Pseudotropheus perspicax 'Chewere'.jpg Tropheops sp. 'weed' Chewere.jpg
Previous pageNext pagePseudotropheus perspicax 'Chewere'
Genus: Pseudotropheus
Type locality: Chilumba Bay Deep, Lake Malawi.
Biotope: Areas of small and medium-sized rocks, also occurring on sandy patches among rocks; most numerous between 5–15 m depth, with a depth range extending from the extreme shallows to at least 25 m.
Geographic distribution: Occurs along the northeastern shore of Lake Malawi between Ngara and Cape Manulo in Malawi.
Typical adult size: Males up to about 8 cm total length; females up to about 6.5 cm total length.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are usually light to sky-blue, sometimes with varying amounts of yellow on the anterior part of the body; females are brown to very light beige-blue, often with distinct vertical barring.
Recommended aquarium size: An aquarium volume of about 250 l or a minimum tank length of 100 cm is recommended; aquaria larger than 400 l or longer than 150 cm are required if more than one male is to be kept.
Aquarium setup: Provide ample hiding places among rocks and use fine-grained substrate, preferably sand, to allow males to excavate burrows. Maintain pH between 7.0 and 8.5 and keep temperature between 23 and 28 °C. Avoid combining with species that closely resemble males in breeding coloration, as this may increase aggression.
Diet: Feeds on aufwuchs, picking algae from small pockets in rocks that are inaccessible to larger herbivores; diet consists almost entirely of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) with a very small proportion of invertebrates.
Breeding: Males are territorial year-round, defending a small cave among rocks and feeding within their territory. Females are non-territorial and are maternal mouthbrooders that retreat among rocks to release the fry.
Aggression: Males are almost permanently territorial and should not be kept with more than one male in smaller aquaria.
Special notes: The species shows considerable geographical variation in male coloration. The holotype has a relatively large eye (about 35% of head length), a feature not fully matched by all known populations currently assigned to this species.

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Photo: © Ad Konings
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Lake Malawi cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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