Deepwater xenotilapia

Xenotilapia bathyphila

Also known as Xenotilapia bathyphilus, Yellow-fin deepwater xeno

FreshwaterFish

Deepwater xenotilapia (Xenotilapia bathyphila) — Gabor Adorjan · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.8–9.0
Adult size: 4.1 in (10.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 66 gal (250 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Tanganyika
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a gentle, gregarious sand sifter that loses its nerve kept alone, so plan on a group of six or more over an open floor of fine sand. It stays on the bottom, cruising just above the substrate and taking mouthfuls of sand to strain out small crustaceans and larvae, so a deep, soft sand bed is essential. It is peaceful and no threat to tankmates, but it is easily cowed, so keep it only with calm Tanganyikan species and nothing pushy. Feed small sinking foods, frozen cyclops, brine shrimp and finely chopped meaty items that reach the floor. Give a group a tank of at least 250 liters with plenty of unbroken sand to work.

In the wild

Xenotilapia bathyphila lives over the sand flats of Lake Tanganyika, mostly well below the sunlit shallows where light is dim and conditions stay cool and stable. Recreate that with a large expanse of fine, pale sand, only a little rock at the edges, and the lake's hard, alkaline chemistry: aim for 24 to 27 C at a pH from 7.8 to 9. Strong filtration and spotless water matter, since these deepwater fish suffer in poor conditions.

Good to know

This cichlid belongs to the family Cichlidae and to the Tanganyikan sand-dwelling ectodine group, reaching about 10.5 centimeters. The species name bathyphila means depth-loving, a nod to its life in deeper water than most of its relatives. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, the female holding eggs and fry in her mouth, and captive breeding is hard, needing a settled group, pristine hard water and the right sex balance before pairs will form.

Did you know

It is built for the deep, dim floor of the lake, carrying oversized, jet-black eyes that gather what little light filters down to the sand it feeds on.