Ornate hap

Protomelas ornatus

Also known as Ornate lip hap, Eclectochromis ornatus, Ornatus hap, Haplochromis ornatus

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 7.6–8.6
Adult size: 7.2 in (18.2 cm)
Minimum tank: 106 gal (400 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Social
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Malawi, endemic
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

The ornate hap is a striking, mid-size Malawi cichlid, social and kept as a group, usually one male with several females. It swims in the middle water over sand and rock and is territorial when spawning, but otherwise it makes a good resident of a large rift-lake community. Choose tankmates with care: robust haps and other similarly sized Malawi cichlids suit it, nothing timid. Feed a varied diet of quality pellets, flake and frozen foods. Give it a tank of at least 400 liters with a sand floor, scattered rock and open swimming space so the group can spread out.

In the wild

Protomelas ornatus is endemic to Lake Malawi, living along margins where sand meets rock. The lake is hard and alkaline, so aim for a temperature range of 24–28 C and a pH of 7.6–8.6. Set the tank up with an open sand floor, scattered stones and some rocky structure, giving this fish the mix of open ground and cover it uses on its native shoreline.

Good to know

Protomelas ornatus belongs to the cichlid family and reaches about 18 centimeters. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, the female carrying eggs and fry in her mouth. Described by Regan in 1922, it spent years in the genus Eclectochromis, raised for a few thick-lipped Malawi haps, but Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes follows Konings in returning it to Protomelas, so the two names refer to one fish.

Did you know

Young fish wear a bold blotched pattern quite unlike the blue-and-gold adult males, and that change, along with a tangled naming history, is why the same species has been sold under more than one name.