Lividus hap

Haplochromis lividus

Also known as Murchison Bay hap

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 7.0–8.5
Adult size: 4.3 in (11 cm)
Minimum tank: 53 gal (200 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Victoria, Ugandan waters
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

A Lake Victoria cichlid that survives mainly through aquarium lines, so keeping it well and breeding it true carries real value. It is social and does best in a group, typically one male with several females to spread out his display and courtship. It swims in the middle water and grazes surfaces, and it is peaceful enough for a community of similarly robust Victorian or riverine fish. Feed a mixed diet leaning toward vegetable foods, since it is an algae grazer at heart. A group needs about 200 liters or more with rock and open water.

In the wild

Haplochromis lividus once grazed algae over the shallows of Murchison Bay in the Ugandan part of Lake Victoria. Set up a tank with rock surfaces for grazing, some open sand and moderate cover. Victoria is warm and its water sits from neutral to hard and alkaline, so aim for 23 to 27 C and a pH of 7 to 8.5. Firm, clean water and steady filtration keep these fish in good color and condition.

Good to know

This is a haplochromine cichlid in the family Cichlidae, described by Greenwood in 1956 and reaching about 11 centimeters, with mature males taking on a blue-green sheen while females stay plain. Females carry the eggs and fry in the mouth, and breeding rates as medium. It belongs to the huge species flock of Lake Victoria, hundreds of closely related haplochromines, a great many of which collapsed after an introduced predator, the Nile perch, spread through the lake in the later twentieth century.

Did you know

As Lake Victoria's native cichlids crashed, hobbyist tanks became a refuge, holding breeding groups of species the lake itself could no longer support, so careful home breeding is now part of what keeps a fish like this in existence.