Likoma utaka

Copadichromis likomae

Also known as Likomae hap

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.5–8.5
Adult size: 5.5 in (14 cm)
Minimum tank: 79 gal (300 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Malawi, Likoma Island
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

An open-water plankton feeder from the utaka group, peaceful by Malawi standards and built for the middle of the tank rather than the rock floor. It is social and shows best in a group, ideally one male with several females so his color comes up without constant fighting. It largely ignores the territorial politics happening down in the rocks and feeds from the water column. Offer small foods that drift, such as fine pellets and frozen zooplankton. A group needs open swimming room, so plan on about 300 liters or more.

In the wild

Copadichromis likomae schools over the reefs off Likoma Island in Lake Malawi, feeding on the clouds of tiny animals in open water. In a tank, leave the upper water clear for swimming and set rockwork low and to the sides so spawning males can claim a spot without blocking the open lanes. Keep the water hard and alkaline as the lake demands, warm at 24 to 27 C with a pH of 7.5 to 8.5, and well filtered to stay clear.

Good to know

This species is a Malawi haplochromine in the family Cichlidae and reaches about 14 centimeters. It belongs to the utaka, the Copadichromis cichlids that feed on zooplankton in open water rather than grazing rock. It is a maternal mouthbrooder of medium breeding difficulty, and breeding males deepen to blue over a darkened body while females stay silvery. It takes its name from Likoma Island.

Did you know

Utaka is not a scientific term but a Malawian name for the open-water, plankton-eating cichlids of the lake, fish that were and still are netted in quantity as food, which makes this a wild fishery species as much as an aquarium one.