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Cichlids
/ Africa / Lake Malawi / Mbuna / Yellow Labid
Yellow Labid., Electric Yellow Mbuna, Caeruleus,
Lion's Cove Yellow
Labidochromis caeruleus | Pictures
Synonyms: None
Physical description: The body is elongated and the forehead is slightly arched.
The body color is bright, sunshine yellow.
The
dorsal fin is elongated, running from the above the gill cover to the base of the caudal fin.
The fringe of the dorsal fin is yellow,
while the rest of it is black.
The pelvic and first rays of the anal fin are also black in color.
The eye often has a small, black stripe
running across it.
Size/Length: To 4" (10 cm)
Similar species: None
Habitat: Eastern Africa; Lake Malawi.
This fish is usually found at depths of 10 to
100 feet (3-31 m).
S: All
Aquarium: 36" (90 cm) or 35 gallons (132 L).
The tank should be arranged with rock
structures that extend from the bottom of the tank to the water surface.
Provide hiding places in these structures
with caves and crevices.
Use a coral sand substrate to buffer the water to an alkaline pH.
Plants will not usually be eaten, so
hardy species can be used (Vallisneria
).
Water chemistry: pH 7.0-8.5 (8.1), 10-30 dH (18), 72-82°F (22-28°C)
Social behavior:
The Yellow Labid is among the least aggressive of mbunas, although it still can be combined
in a community tank with other species of mbunas.
Provide a retreat for each fish.
As with other mbunas, the Yellow
Labid does best when one male is kept with several females.
When guarding the brood, the parents become highly
aggressive.
The Yellow Labid is often harassed by dissimilar species because of its conspicuous coloration.
Suggested companions: Synodontis,
Lake Tanganyika Rainbows, Lake Tanganyika Cichlids, Mbunas.
FOOD: Flake; live; snails, bloodworms, mosquito larvae, microorganisms, crustaceans, snails,
Tubifex
; chopped meat; pellets; tablets; vegetables; peas, lettuce, spinach; fruit.
Be
sure to feed this fish a healthy diet, so it can retain its beautiful colors.
Sexual differences: The male has a greater arch on its head and may be slightly larger.
Breeding techniques: Forms a matriarchal family.
The eggs are laid on carefully cleaned rocks and fertilized with the
dummy-egg method.
Up to 20 eggs are laid.
They are then mouthbrooded by the female (ovophile mouth brooder) for
21-25 days.
The fry are sturdy and are free-swimming after 3 weeks, at which time they can be fed small live
foods and powdered dry.
The female continues to guard the fry for a week after they are first released from the
mouth.
Breeding potential:
7.
Breeding is slightly more difficult than that of other mbunas.
Remarks: Many available to the hobby are captive bred in Florida.
Frequent partial water changes are required
for this fish to keep its stunning colors.
The fish of the genus
Labidochromis differ from other mbunas
by having longer, more pointed snouts.
Difficulty of care: 6.
The Yellow Labid is more sensitive to water pollutants and harassment than other Mbunas.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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