Maclareni pungu
Pungu maclareni
Also known as Sponge-eating cichlid
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 73–81°F
- 23–27°C
- pH
- 7.0–8.0
- Adult size
- 4.7 in
- 12 cm
- Minimum tank
- 53 gal
- 200 L
- Temperament
- Mostly peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Mouthbrooder · Medium
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Lake Barombi Mbo, Cameroon
Overview
The Maclareni pungu is a crater-lake cichlid from Cameroon for the bottom of a calm tank. It is a demanding fish, best left to experienced keepers.
Did you know
The Maclareni pungu is a spongivore, and around a fifth of its natural diet is freshwater sponge, spicules and all. Eating sponge is vanishingly rare, practiced by well under one percent of all fish species. That makes it one of the oddest eaters in the cichlid family.
Caring for the Maclareni pungu
Give a small group of Maclareni pungu at least 53 gal (200 L), with a sand or fine gravel floor and some rounded rock. Keep conditions calm and very clean.
Keep the water moderately hard, at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) and a near-neutral pH of 7.0 to 8.0. Hold it steady and of high quality. In a tank this cichlid takes ordinary foods readily, so offer a varied diet of prepared and frozen foods.
It is social and fine alone or in a group, though it does best in a small group. It is generally peaceful, but choose tank mates with care, since a specialized fish like this does poorly with rowdy company. It is a mouthbrooder, and breeding it is of medium difficulty.
Good to know
The Maclareni pungu is a cichlid of the family Cichlidae. It belongs to a small flock of cichlids unique to Barombi Mbo.
In the wild
Pungu maclareni lives in Lake Barombi Mbo, a deep volcanic crater near Kumba in southwestern Cameroon. It usually stays in the shallow water of the crater walls, a few meters down. The lake's water is warm, clear and moderately hard, and the habitat barely changes through the year.
Common questions
What size tank does a Maclareni pungu need?
A Maclareni pungu needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Maclareni pungu need?
A Maclareni pungu is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.
What does a Maclareni pungu eat?
A Maclareni pungu takes ordinary foods readily in a tank. Offer it a varied diet of prepared and frozen foods.
How big does a Maclareni pungu get?
An adult Maclareni pungu reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).
How does a Maclareni pungu breed?
A Maclareni pungu is a mouthbrooder that breeds at medium difficulty.
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