Heterodon hap

Otopharynx heterodon

Also known as Haplochromis heterodon

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.5–8.5
Adult size: 5.1 in (13 cm)
Minimum tank: 79 gal (300 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Malawi
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is an adaptable, fairly calm Malawi hap, a good fit for the more peaceful side of a rift lake community and best kept as one male with several females. It stays low over the bottom, working sediment dusted rock and sand for food, and the male colors up blue when displaying. It mixes well with other peaceful haps and peacocks of similar size and does not need a species tank, though it should not be crowded in with aggressive mbuna. A group is comfortable in a tank of around 300 liters or more with a mix of rock and open sand. Its food is a mix of sinking pellet and flake with frozen items such as brine shrimp and mysis.

In the wild

The heterodon hap feeds over the sediment dusted rocks and sandy patches of Lake Malawi, picking a mixed diet from the bottom. Keep it in the hard, alkaline water of Malawi at 24–27 C and around pH 7.5–8.5, with a floor of sand, scattered rocks for cover and territory, and some open space. Steady chemistry and clean water keep these rift lake fish in good shape.

Good to know

Otopharynx heterodon is a member of the family Cichlidae reaching about 13 centimeters, a three spotted hap whose males take on a blue sheen when in condition. The female is the brood carrier, holding eggs and fry in her mouth until the young can fend for themselves, and breeding is of moderate difficulty.

Did you know

Its name, heterodon, means different or varied teeth; instead of one specialized bite it carries a mix of tooth shapes that let it take a broad range of small foods from rock and sand.