Archive | African Cichlids

Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)

Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)

The Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Yellowtail Tang, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, or Blue Surgeonfish is native to the Red Sea however, they have also been encountered in the Gulf of Aden, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, and recently in the Mediterranean Sea near Sardinia. They have been recorded […]

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Posted in African Riverine Cichlids, Featured Articles, Saltwater, Tangs, Tropical Fish Keeping0 Comments

Kyoga Flameback (Xystichromis “Kyoga Flameback”) pair

Kyoga Flameback (Xystichromis “Kyoga Flameback”)

The Kyoga Flameback (Xystichromis “Kyoga Flameback”) is an endangered species found in Lake Nawampassa, a lake north of Lake Victoria that is part of the Kyoga Basin/ Victorian Nile drainage system. Unfortunately, due to pollution and the introduction of the Nile Perch in it’s waters, the Kyoga Flameback like many other Lake Victoria species is […]

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Posted in Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Victoria, West Africa and Madagascar, Tropical Fish Keeping, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Horse Nose Cichlid (Eretmodus cyanostictus)

Horse Nose Cichlid (Eretmodus cyanostictus) “Bulu Pt.”

The Horse Nose Cichlid (Eretmodus cyanostictus) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Striped Gopby Cichlid and Tanganyikan Clown Cichlid is endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is found in the “surge zone” along the shallow surface layers of the rocky shorelines of Zambia and Tanzania where they scrape algae from the rocks […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Tanganyika Cichlids, Tropical Fish Keeping, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Christmas Fulu (Xystichromis phytophagus)

Christmas Fulu (Xystichromis phytophagus)

The Christmas Fulu (Xystichromis phytophagus) is a beautiful endangered species that is already considered extinct in Lake Victoria however, it is relatively common in Lake Kanyabooli, in the Kenyan Yala Swamp of Africa. In their natural habitat, Christmas Fulu are polygamous maternal mouth brooders that feed primarily on algae and vegetable matter.   Because they are […]

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Posted in Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Victoria, West Africa and Madagascar, Tropical Fish Keeping, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Taeniolethrinops praeorbitalis

Taeniolethrinops praeorbitalis

Taeniolethrinops praeorbitalis is a peaceful, solitary cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi that is found over sandy substrates in relatively shallow depths of up to 160 feet. Taeniolethrinops praeorbitalis can be distinguished from it’s close relative Taeniolethrinops laticeps, by it’s longer snout and the absence of an oblique dark diagonal line that crosses the upper portion […]

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Posted in Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Malawi Cichlids, Tropical Fish Keeping, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

African Butterfly Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara jacobfreibergi)

African Butterfly Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara jacobfreibergi)

The African Butterfly Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara jacobfreibergi) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Malawi Butterfly Cichlid, Eureka Cichlid, Fairy Cichlid, Freiberg’s Peacock, Jakes or Jake Cichlid, Mamalela Peacock, and Swalllow Tail Peacock is endemic to Lake Malawi, Africa; Otter Point, Nkudzi, Monkey Bay, Nankumba, and the Domwe Islands. Aulonocara jacobfreibergi is widespread throughout the […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Malawi Cichlids, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Ruby Green Cichlid (Haplochromis sp. Ruby Green)

Ruby Green Cichlid (Haplochromis sp. Ruby Green)

The Ruby Green Cichlid (Haplochromis sp. Ruby Green) is a herbivore known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Ruby Green Hap or Ruby Green, and is found around the heavily vegetated shorelines of Lakes Kyoga and Nawampasa in Uganda. The Ruby Green Cichlid is often mistaken for the Flameback Cichlid (Haplichromis sp. “Flameback”) Male […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Victoria, West Africa and Madagascar, Tropical Fish Keeping, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Fire Red Uganda Cichlid (Haplochromis s. “fire”)

Fire Red Uganda Cichlid (Haplochromis s. “fire”)

The Fire Red Uganda (Haplochromis s. “fire”) or (Paralabidochromis sp. “fire”) is known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Fire Red Ugandan, and is found in the Northern section of Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga. The Fire Red Uganda is a rock dwelling cichlid (mbipi) from the Ugandan shores of Lake Victoria that is […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Victoria, West Africa and Madagascar, Tropical Fish Keeping, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Crimson Tide Cichlid (Pundamilia nyererei)

Crimson Tide Cichlid (Pundamilia nyererei)

The Crimson Tide Cichlid (Pundamilia nyererei) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Nyerere’s Victoria Cichlid, Crimson Tide Flameback, or Flameback is only found along the shallow coast lines of several islands located at the southern end of Lake Victoria, East Africa. All Pundamilia nyererei from Lake Victoria are beautiful and highly aggressive, even more […]

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Posted in Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Victoria, West Africa and Madagascar, Tropical Fish Keeping, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Aulonocranus-dewindti

Aulonocranus dewindti

Aulonocranus dewindti is a species of “featherfin” cichlid that inhabit sandy bottom areas that are littered with rocks and empty shells in Lake Tanganyika, the Rusisi, and the Lukuga rivers. Aulonocranus dewindti is endemic to and widely distributed throughout the Lake Tanganyika basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Aulonocranus dewindti […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Tanganyika Cichlids, Tropical Fish Keeping, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Sardine Cichlid (Cyprichromis leptosoma)

Sardine Cichlid (Cyprichromis leptosoma)

The Sardine Cichlid (Cyprichromis leptosoma) known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Slender Cichlid, Cyprichromis, or Slender Cyprichromis, is a small, colorful, sardine shaped open water species that is found only along the rocky eastern shoreline of Lake Tanganyika, between Kigoma in Tanzania, and Mpulugu in Zambia.   They are prized by tropical fish keeping enthusiasts […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Tanganyika Cichlids, Tropical Fish Keeping, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Gold Head Compressiceps (Altolamprologus compressiceps) Female

Gold Head Compressiceps (Altolamprologus compressiceps)

The Gold Head Compressiceps (Altolamprologus compressiceps) is known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Golden Head Compressiceps, Goldhead, or Goldface Compressiceps, and is found from Malasa, Tanzania to Chituta, Zambia at the Southern end of LakeTanganyika.   Most Goldenhead are collected near Mutondwe Island in Zambia. The Gold Head Compressiceps is indigenous to Lake Tanganyika […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Tanganyika Cichlids, Tropical Fish Keeping, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Dwarf Sumbu Shell Compressiceps (Altolamprologus compressiceps sp.) "Sumbu Shell"

Dwarf Sumbu Shell Compressiceps Cichlid (Altolamprologus compressiceps sp.) “Sumbu Shell”

  Dwarf Sumbu Shell Compressiceps Cichlid (Altolamprologus compressiceps sp.) “Sumbu Shell” is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Sumbu Shell, Sumbu Dwarf Compressiceps, or Sumbu Shell Compressiceps and is found in the southernmost tip of Lake Tanganyika around Ndole Bay near Zambia, Africa. Dwarf Sumbu Shell Compressiceps have a high back, laterally […]

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Posted in Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Tanganyika Cichlids, Tropical Fish Keeping0 Comments

Electric Blue Ahli (Sciaenochromis Fryeri) “Maleri Island”

Electric Blue Ahli (Sciaenochromis Fryeri) “Maleri Island”

  The Electric Blue Ahli (Sciaenochromis Fryeri) “Maleri Island” known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts simply as the Electric Blue Ahli Cichlid is a popular, stunningly brilliant blue Haplochromis widespread throughout Lake Malawi, and native to the waters around Maleri Island. Although the Electric Blue Ahli is widely distributed throughout Lake Malawi, it is more […]

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Posted in Featured Articles, Lake Malawi Cichlids, Tropical Fish Keeping0 Comments

Astatotilapia Desfontainii

Astatotilapia Desfontainii

Astatotilapia Desfontainii is an extremely rare, gravely threatened, and possibly extinct cichlid species that is native to Algeria and Tunisia, in Northern Africa, where it is found in freshwater springs, oasis, and in the canals and ditches of irrigated lands Because of habitat loss partially caused by the irrigation of date palms, Astatotilapia desfontainii had […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, African Riverine Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher)

Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher)

The Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher) or “Krib” as many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts call them, is endemic to Nigeria and Cameroon, Africa. Kribs are a popular aquarium species that are sold under various names such as; the common krib, red krib, super red krib, rainbow krib, rainbow cichlid, and purple cichlid Although some populations of Kribensis […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, African Riverine Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Burton's Mouthbrooder (Astatotilapia burtoni)

Burton’s Mouthbrooder (Astatotilapia burtoni)

Burton’s Mouthbrooder (Astatotilapia burtoni) has been found in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia, and is considered a Victorian cichlid from the middle of Lake Tanganyika, however, it has also been collected from Lake Kivu, which is north of Lake Tanganyika and west of  Lake Victoria. Burton’s Mouthbrooders, synonymous with Haplochromis burtoni, prefer living in the […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, African Riverine Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Tanganyika Cichlids, Tropical Fish Species2 Comments

African Butterfly Cichlid (Anomalochromis thomasi)

African Butterfly Cichlid (Anomalochromis thomasi)

The African Butterfly Cichlid (Anomalochromis thomasi) is a small riverine cichlid that inhabits the heavily vegetated forest streams of Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia in Western Africa. African Butterfly Cichlids prefer living in slightly acidic, oxygen rich streams with a great deal of overhanging vegetation. The fallen leaves, branches, etc. in the water column stains […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, African Riverine Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Julidochromis regani Kipili group

Convict Julie (Julidochromis regani)

The Convict Julie (Julidochromis regani) is a slender, torpedo shaped cichlid species that is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, and Zambia. Similar to Marliers Julie (Julidochromis Marlieri), the Convict Julie (Julidochromis regani) is a “dwarf cichlid” that is easy to breed and care for as […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Lake Tanganyika Cichlids, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

Kribensis Cichlid pair (Pelvicachromis pulcher)

Kribensis Cichlid (Pelvicachromis pulcher)

The Kribensis Cichlid (Pelvicachromis pulcher) is a popular African cichlid that is endemic to Nigeria and Cameroon.   It is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as kribensis, krib, common krib, red krib, super red krib, rainbow krib, rainbow cichlid, and purple cichlid. The Kribensis Cichlid can be found in fast moving waters, but it […]

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Posted in African Cichlids, Cichlids, Featured Articles, Freshwater Fish, Tropical Fish Species0 Comments

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