Mungo blue benitochromis

Benitochromis finleyi

Also known as Finley's mouthbrooder, Mungo blue

FreshwaterFish

Mungo blue benitochromis (Benitochromis finleyi) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 3.7 in (9.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 42 gal (160 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Mungo basin, Cameroon
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

The Mungo blue is a small, gentle Cameroonian cichlid best kept as a bonded pair rather than in a group, since a pair holds together to raise young. It keeps to the lower half of the tank and is generally peaceful, though a spawning pair can get pushy, so choose calm tankmates with care and give everyone space. Feed it small foods: fine pellets, flake, and frozen items such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and cyclops. Set it up in soft, warm water with a sandy floor and driftwood for shelter and spawning sites. A tank of around 160 liters suits a pair with a few quiet companions.

In the wild

Benitochromis finleyi comes from the streams of the Mungo river system in Cameroon, soft, warm, often tannin-stained forest water. Aim for a temperature range of 23–27 C and a pH of 5.5–7.0. A sandy bottom, gentle flow, driftwood, leaf litter and some shade recreate its home and give a pair the flat surfaces and sheltered corners they use when they spawn.

Good to know

Benitochromis finleyi belongs to the cichlid family and reaches around 9.5 centimeters. It is a biparental, ovophilous mouthbrooder: the eggs are taken into the mouth soon after spawning, and both parents share the brood, passing the developing eggs and fry back and forth between them. The Mungo population wears a powder-blue sheen over a rose-pink body.

Did you know

Unlike most mouthbrooding cichlids, where one parent does the carrying, a Benitochromis pair shares the job, handing the eggs and fry from mouth to mouth several times a day.