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Cichlids
/ Africa / Lake Malawi / Livingstoni
Livingstoni
Nimbochromis livingstonii | Pictures
Synonyms: Cyrtocara
livingstonii, Haplochromis livingstonii, Hemichromis livingstonii
Physical description: An elongated fish with a large, triangular head.
The body is splotched with random brown
and white markings.
This coloration serves an important purpose (see "Remarks:").
The mouth is large and the fins retain
the same coloration as the rest of the body.
Size/Length: To 12" (30 cm)
Similar species: N.
fuscotaeniatus
Habitat: Eastern Africa; found above sandy areas in large thickets of aquatic reeds and grasses
in Lake Malawi
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: 40" (100 cm) or 45-55 gallons (170-209 L) is sufficient for smaller fish.
A 60"
(152 cm) 90-110 gallon (342-378 L) tank will eventually be needed as large open swimming areas are preferred.
The
sides, corners, and back of the tank should be heavily planted with
Vallisneria.
Use large, sturdy rock structures, with
caves, in the back of the tank.
Water chemistry: 7.5-8.5 (8.0), 10-22 dH (18), 75-82°F (24-28°C).
Social behavior: A territorial and predatory fish that should only be kept with other robust Haplochromines
of a similar size.
Keep one male with several females.
Suggested companions: Lake Malawi Haplochromines,
Synodontis,
Polypterus, Afromastacembelus
FOOD: Live; insect larvae, aquatic insects, fish, earthworms,
Tubifex, crustaceans; vegetables; lettuce,
spinach, peas; tablets; pellets.
Sexual differences: Males are more brightly colored with egg-spots on the anal fin.
Breeding techniques: Use a large breeding tank with one male and three or four females.
Use water with the following propertieS:
a pH from 8.0-8.5, a water hardness from 12-18 dH, and a temperature from 81-82°F (27-28°C).
Up
to 100 eggs are mouthbrooded by the female for a period of 21-24 days.
The young can be raised on
Artemia and
crushed dry foods.
Breeding potential: 7.
Breeding is moderately difficult.
Remarks: The Livingstoni is well-known for its habit of depicting a dead fish.
Its coloring is much like a decaying
fish, so when the Livingstoni plays dead by lying on the bottom on its side, other fish will come to pick at the
carcass.
The unsuspecting fish are quickly devoured.
This behavior has been observed both in aquaria
and in the wild.
Many still regard this fish by its original name, the "sleeper fish."
Difficulty of care: 6.
A hardy, predatory fish that has a very interesting feeding habit in nature.
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.
How to save the world's oceans from overfishing
(7/8/2007) Global fishing stocks are in trouble. After expanding from 18 millions tons in 1950 to around 94 million tons in 2000, annual world fish catch has leveled off and may even be declining. Scientists estimate that the number of large predatory fish in the oceans has fallen by 90 percent since the 1950s, while about one-quarter of the world's fisheries are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. Despite these dire trends, the situation is changing. Today some of the world's largest environmental groups are focused on addressing the health of marine life and oceans, while sustainable fisheries management is at the top of the agenda for intergovenmental bodies. At the forefront of these efforts is Mike Sutton, director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's conservation program: the Center for the Future of the Oceans. The aquarium, which has long been recognized as one of the world's most important marine research facilities, is pioneering new strategies for protecting the planet's oceans. Sutton says the approach has four parts: establishing new marine protected areas, pushing for ocean policy reform, promoting sustainable seafood, and protecting wildlife and marine ecosystems.
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