Pearly ocellatus

Lamprologus stappersi

Also known as Lamprologus meleagris, Pearl ocellatus shell dweller

FreshwaterFish

Pearly ocellatus (Lamprologus stappersi) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.8–9.0
Adult size: 2.2 in (5.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Tanganyika
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a tiny, feisty shell-dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika, kept as a pair or a small colony with plenty of empty snail shells to claim. Each fish, and especially each female, adopts a shell as home and nursery and will defend the sand around it with surprising nerve, so provide more shells than there are fish to spread out the squabbles. It stays under about 6 centimeters and lives right on the bottom, so it suits a nano setup of around 40 liters for a pair, or something larger for a colony with calm, non-predatory tankmates. Feed small meaty foods such as baby brine shrimp, cyclops, crushed pellets, and fine frozen foods.

In the wild

In Lake Tanganyika it lives on open sand along the central and western coast, in beds littered with the empty shells of aquatic snails that give it shelter and spawning sites. Recreate that with a deep, soft sand bed, a scatter of suitable shells, and some rockwork at the edges. Keep the water hard and alkaline, around pH 7.8 to 9, and warm at about 24 to 27 C, with clean, stable conditions, since these small fish dislike sudden changes and rising waste.

Good to know

Lamprologus stappersi is a dwarf cichlid of the family Cichlidae, reaching only about 5.5 centimeters and spangled with pearly spots over a darker body. It is a shell-brooding cave spawner and one of the easier Tanganyikan cichlids to breed: a female lays inside her shell, the male fertilizes the eggs, and she tends the fry within. The trade has long sold it under the name Lamprologus meleagris.

Did you know

The old trade name meleagris means guineafowl, and the comparison fits: the fish is dusted with neat white spots over a dark ground, much like the speckled plumage of that bird.

Tank mates

Pearly ocellatus is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.