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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Neolamprologus fasciatus 'Sibwesa'.jpg Neolamprologus fasciatus 'Taala (Lusembwa) Point'.jpg Neolamprologus fasciatus 'Ulwile Island'.jpg
Previous pageNeolamprologus fasciatus 'Ulwile Island'<br><font color=gray>Altolamprologus fasciatus 'Ulwile Island'</font>
Tribe / Genus: Lamprologini / Neolamprologus
Type locality: Kinyamkolo, Lake Tanganyika.
Biotope: Rocky shores at depths between 2 and 15 m. The species often occurs sympatrically with Altolamprologus compressiceps and Altolamprologus calvus.
Geographic distribution: Endemic to Lake Tanganyika with a lake-wide distribution. No geographic variants are known.
Typical adult size: Males may reach up to about 15 cm total length, while females remain considerably smaller, usually up to around 9 cm.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are significantly larger than females.
Recommended aquarium size: Around 200 L for a pair.
Aquarium setup: The aquarium should contain a large amount of rockwork arranged to form caves and narrow crevices. For breeding, very narrow cave entrances must be provided so that only the female can enter, while the male remains outside. The bottom should be covered with fine sand.
A tank of at least 100 cm length and approximately 200 L is required for a pair; keeping multiple individuals or combining this species with other Tanganyika cichlids requires a larger aquarium.
Diet: Carnivorous predator. Feeds mainly on juvenile cichlids, but will also take smaller invertebrates. Compared with A. compressiceps and A. calvus, it attacks prey from a greater distance, often from around one meter. In aquaria, it accepts various live and frozen foods such as krill, mysis and cyclops.
Breeding: Outside the breeding season, males are usually solitary and cruise the rocky habitat in search of prey. During spawning, a weakly bonded pair is formed. The female selects a narrow cave that only she can enter; the male releases sperm from outside through the narrow entrance to fertilize the eggs. The female guards the eggs inside the cave, while the male patrols the area for a short time, usually leaving before the fry become free-swimming after about 10 days. Clutch size is typically around 200 eggs.
Aggression: Males can be quite aggressive toward conspecifics. Toward other species it is relatively peaceful and becomes territorial mainly during the breeding period.
Special notes: This species occurs throughout Lake Tanganyika and often shares its habitat with A. calvus and A. compressiceps, yet no geographic variants are known despite its wide distribution.
The taxonomic placement of this species has long been debated. Some authors place it in Altolamprologus based on morphological similarities, while others retain it in Neolamprologus, which is the currently accepted placement by CAS. It differs from A. calvus and A. compressiceps mainly by its more elongated and elegant body shape. A hybrid origin involving an Altolamprologus and a Lamprologus ancestor has been proposed, which may help explain the ongoing uncertainty regarding its generic assignment.
Tribe / Genus: Lamprologini / Neolamprologus
Type locality: Kinyamkolo, Lake Tanganyika.
Biotope: Rocky shores at depths between 2 and 15 m. The species often occurs sympatrically with Altolamprologus compressiceps and Altolamprologus calvus.
Geographic distribution: Endemic to Lake Tanganyika with a lake-wide distribution. No geographic variants are known.
Typical adult size: Males may reach up to about 15 cm total length, while females remain considerably smaller, usually up to around 9 cm.
Sexual dimorphism: Males are significantly larger than females.
Recommended aquarium size: Around 200 L for a pair.
Aquarium setup: The aquarium should contain a large amount of rockwork arranged to form caves and narrow crevices. For breeding, very narrow cave entrances must be provided so that only the female can enter, while the male remains outside. The bottom should be covered with fine sand.
A tank of at least 100 cm length and approximately 200 L is required for a pair; keeping multiple individuals or combining this species with other Tanganyika cichlids requires a larger aquarium.
Diet: Carnivorous predator. Feeds mainly on juvenile cichlids, but will also take smaller invertebrates. Compared with A. compressiceps and A. calvus, it attacks prey from a greater distance, often from around one meter. In aquaria, it accepts various live and frozen foods such as krill, mysis and cyclops.
Breeding: Outside the breeding season, males are usually solitary and cruise the rocky habitat in search of prey. During spawning, a weakly bonded pair is formed. The female selects a narrow cave that only she can enter; the male releases sperm from outside through the narrow entrance to fertilize the eggs. The female guards the eggs inside the cave, while the male patrols the area for a short time, usually leaving before the fry become free-swimming after about 10 days. Clutch size is typically around 200 eggs.
Aggression: Males can be quite aggressive toward conspecifics. Toward other species it is relatively peaceful and becomes territorial mainly during the breeding period.
Special notes: This species occurs throughout Lake Tanganyika and often shares its habitat with A. calvus and A. compressiceps, yet no geographic variants are known despite its wide distribution.
The taxonomic placement of this species has long been debated. Some authors place it in Altolamprologus based on morphological similarities, while others retain it in Neolamprologus, which is the currently accepted placement by CAS. It differs from A. calvus and A. compressiceps mainly by its more elongated and elegant body shape. A hybrid origin involving an Altolamprologus and a Lamprologus ancestor has been proposed, which may help explain the ongoing uncertainty regarding its generic assignment.

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Photo: © Ad Konings
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