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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps

Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps
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Xenotilapia longispinis (unknown locality)
Tribe / Genus: Ectodini / Xenotilapia
Type locality: Between the Ruzizi River and Bujumbura, Lake Tanganyika, Burundi
Biotope: Deeper sandy and muddy bottoms of Lake Tanganyika. Recorded from depths of 5–50 m, but far more abundant at greater depths and likely occurring deeper than 50 m. It appears to migrate into shallower water at night, probably for feeding.
Geographic distribution: Endemic to Lake Tanganyika with an almost lake-wide distribution, but absent from Burton Bay in the northernmost part of the lake.
Typical adult size: Reaches about 16 cm total length. Females are on average around 2 cm smaller than males.
Recommended aquarium size: Around 300 liters for a single pair; aquaria housing multiple males should be at least 150 cm in length.
Aquarium setup: Fine sand substrate is essential, complemented by a few smooth rocks with no sharp edges. This species is easily stressed and should not be kept with aggressive or strongly territorial fishes. Suitable tankmates include calm open-water species such as Paracyprichromis nigripinnis. If more than one male is kept, sufficient space is required to reduce aggression.
Diet: Carnivorous. Feeds primarily on small crustaceans and chironomid larvae.
Breeding: Maternal mouthbrooder. The female incubates eggs and larvae for roughly three and a half weeks. After release, she continues post-release brood care for about three days, taking the fry back into the mouth when threatened or during the night, before abandoning them. Brood size is usually between 25 and 40 fry.
Males intensify their coloration several days before spawning but do not maintain permanent territories.
Aggression: Generally peaceful toward other species. Within the species, males can be quite aggressive toward each other, especially when displaying.
Special notes: Xenotilapia longispinis can be distinguished from the similar X. burtoni by the presence of a black margin on the caudal fin and the absence of black blotches in the anterior dorsal fin.

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Lake Tanganyika cichlids — species, locations & maps.
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