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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Perissodus paradoxus.jpg Perissodus paradoxus 'Chituta Bay'.jpg Perissodus paradoxus 'Halembe'.jpg Perissodus paradoxus 'Isanga Bay'.jpg
Previous pageNext pagePerissodus paradoxus 'Chituta Bay'<br><font color=gray>Plecodus paradoxus 'Chituta Bay'</font>
Tribe / Genus: Perissodini / Perissodus
Type locality: Lake Tanganyika.
Biotope: Occurs mainly over sandy habitats, often in proximity to rocks.
It is frequently encountered swimming in loose hunting groups about one meter above the substrate, but it has also been recorded at depths of up to 250 meters.
Geographic distribution: Lake-wide distribution along the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
Typical adult size: Up to about 29 cm in both males and females.
Sexual dimorphism: No visible sexual dimorphism has been reported in either size or coloration.
Recommended aquarium size: At least 250 liters.
Aquarium setup: A large aquarium with open swimming space is required. Rockwork can be included but should not dominate the layout.
Because of its scale-eating behavior and aggression, it is recommended to keep only a single compatible pair by themselves, or to monitor tankmates very closely during acclimatization.
Diet: A specialized scale-eater feeding primarily on scales and pieces of skin removed from the flanks of other fish.
Stomach-content analyses have revealed stacked rows of scales, and occasional fish skin and fry have also been reported. Large individuals may attack large-bodied cichlids such as Boulengerochromis microlepis, while smaller individuals probably target smaller sand-dwelling cichlids.
Breeding: Breeding behavior is intermediate between substrate brooding and mouthbrooding.
Spawning takes place on sand or rock, after which the female picks up the eggs. Clutches consist of roughly 200–300 very small eggs.
After about nine days the fry are released and guarded by both parents. Both male and female collect and defend the fry for at least six weeks.
Aggression: Highly aggressive toward other fish due to its lepidophagous feeding strategy. Even conspecifics may be attacked unless a stable pair has formed.
Special notes: Distinguished from other scale-eating cichlids by its combination of tooth number, fin-ray counts, and body proportions.
It has a higher number of dorsal-fin spines than Perissodus eccentricus, a much more slender body than P. straeleni, fewer oral teeth than P. multidentatus and P. elaviae, and more anal-fin rays than P. elaviae.
Possibly the most common scale-eater in Lake Tanganyika and frequently observed on dives over sandy bottoms throughout the lake. Non-breeding individuals often show a narrow mid-lateral stripe ending at a black spot on the caudal peduncle.

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Photo: © M. Kwolek-Mirek
Photo: © M. Kwolek-Mirek
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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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