Piebald hap

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a rock-picking cichlid from Lake Victoria, kept as a single specimen or a male-and-female pair rather than a group, since males can be rough on rivals and their own kind. It works low over rock and shell, picking small invertebrates from surfaces, and is not especially aggressive toward unrelated species, though it is territorial enough that you should pick calm companions with some care. Feed frozen and prepared foods with an insect or invertebrate slant, such as bloodworm, mysis, and a quality cichlid pellet. Give it around 250 liters with a sand floor and rock mazes for cover.

In the wild

It lives in Lake Victoria over floors of rock and scattered snail shell, where it picks through crevices for food. Set up a tank with a sand base, generous stacked rock, and shaded gaps it can patrol and defend. Keep it warm at about 23 to 27 C and neutral to alkaline, roughly pH 7 to 8.5, hard and steady in the way the East African lakes require.

Good to know

Paralabidochromis chromogynos is a cichlid of the family Cichlidae, reaching about 13 centimeters. The female is a mouthbrooder, holding the eggs and fry in her mouth until they can fend for themselves, and breeding is a moderate challenge. Many females carry a striking black-on-white piebald blotching, while males tend to wear brighter, more even color, and the species is considered vulnerable in the wild.

Did you know

Its name chromogynos means colored female, an unusual reversal: here it is often the females that carry the bold piebald pattern, while the males show the smoother, more colorful body typical of the group.

Common questions

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