Buy Tropical Fish Online - African Species
FRESHWATER FISH Cichlidae: other African species Besides the Cichlids of Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika, a few more interesting species are found in other, lesser-known lakes, and in certain rivers in East and West Africa. Pelvicachromis pulcher The kribensis is a native of Nigeria; it thrives in hard, even brackish waters with abundant vegetation. The female lays 200-300 eggs in a cave, tending them while the male defends the site, though he is less aggressive than other Cichlids. The fry are free-swimming 1 week after hatching. Size: 10 cm. Astatotilapia burtoni Burton’s mouthbrooder is a species encountered in the Nile and East African lakes. It is more or less tranquil, but becomes territorial during spawning. The female lays her eggs in a hollow dug into the substrate and then incubates them in her mouth for 2 weeks in a secluded part of the tank. Size: 10-15 cm. Hemichromis bimaculatus Several related species are sold under the name of crown-jewel cichlid, the feral varieties having a more marked red coloration. The male will defend its territory vigorously; the female lays up to 500 eggs on a suitable surface, with the fry swimming within a week. Size: 10 cm. OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS An algae- and plankton-eater in the wild, the Nile mouthbrooder becomes omnivorous in captivity. It grows fairly rapidly, and is very hardy: it can withstand a temperature range of 13-33 C and also survive in salt water after careful and progressive acclimatization. Originally from the Nile, Chad, and Senegal, it has been introduced into practically the whole of tropical Africa, including Lake Victoria. Fishing for this species provides an important local source of food, but the largest specimens (often destined for smoking) are becoming rarer since the introduction of a voracious predator, the Nile perch or Lates niloticus. This fish, which can exceed 1 m and weigh more than 100 kg, is a notorious example of bad practice: importing a non-native species without proper precautions. However, the population levels of small Cichlids in Lake Victoria do not seem to have been affected. O. niloticus has also been introduced into many of the world’s tropical regions, where it is raised on a large scale to improve food resources. At the moment it is not in great favor with hobbyists. Size: 30-50 cm. Oreochromis mossambicus The Mozambique mouthbrooder has been introduced into several tropical regions of the world. A large female can incubate several hundred eggs in her mouth for 3-4 weeks. The adults acclimatize well to seawater; the fry can withstand a progressive increase in salinity over 4-6 weeks from the time they are 1 cm long and are consequently useful for feeding as live prey, especially to marine species. Size: 50 cm.
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Tags: african species, freshwater fish