Home
 What's New
 About
 Preface
 Introduction
 Fish Anatomy
 Water Chemistry
 The Aquarium
 Plant Care
 Plant Species
 Food
 Disease
 Biotope Aquaria
   Ecosystems
   Country Database
 Fish Species
   Catfish
   Characins
   Cichlids
   Cyprinds
   Killifish
   Labyrinth Fish
   Livebearers
   Loaches
   Others
   Perches
   Rainbowfish
 Non-fish Species
 Breeding Fish
 Aquarium Photos
 Languages
   Chinese
   Croatian
   Finnish
   German
   Japanese
   Portuguese
   Spanish
 Bibliography
 Links
 Resources
 Rainforests
 Books
 Mongabay Sites
   Kids site
   Travel Tips
 News
 Contact



dog videos, cat videos, puppy videos, kitten videos, pet videos
Cichlids / Africa / Lake Malawi / Mbuna / Shell-dwelling Mbuna

Snail Shell Mbuna, Shell-dwelling Mbuna
Pseudotropheus lanisticola | Pictures

Synonyms: None
Physical description: This species has a "typical" mbuna shape, though its mouth is smaller and head has a smooth slope. The body coloration is variable. The upperparts may be rusty brown while scales of the flanks are light blue and edged with copper. The body is marked with several vertical bands that may be apparent or inconspicuous. Female fish may be yellowish. The fins match the body color, except for the yellow anal fin. The caudal fin has a base coloration of rusty-orange with blue stripes.
Size/Length: To 2.7" (7 cm)
Similar species: P. livingstonii is another shell-dwelling mbuna.
Habitat: Eastern Africa; inhabits empty snail shells ( Lanistes) of sandy regions of Lake Malawi
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: 30" (76 cm) or 20-30 gallons (75-114 L). The tank should have a rocky set-up with caves and overhangs. Provide several large snails shells for each fish. Leave open swimming areas and use coral sand substrate. Use a strong light to promote the growth of algae.
Water chemistry: pH 7.5-8.8 (8.2), 12-22 dH (16), 73-79°F (23-26°C)
Social behavior: A territorial species that will guard its snail shell against intruders. This species will not usually harm plants and is unaggressive towards other species.
Suggested companions: Lake Tanganyika Rainbowfish, mbunas, Synodontis
FOOD: Algae; flake; live; snails, bloodworms, mosquito larvae, microorganisms, crustaceans, snails, Tubifex ; chopped meat; pellets; tablets; vegetables; peas, lettuce, spinach; fruit.
Sexual differences: Males have brighter egg-spots on their anal fin.
Breeding techniques: Use water with a pH around 8.2 with a water temperature from 79-82°F (26-28°C). Keep at least three females with the male. The female is an ovophile mouth brooder who lays as many as 60 eggs, which she incubates for three weeks. She continues to guard the fry for a week after they emerge from the mouth. Start feeding with Artemia and crushed flake foods.
Breeding potential: 5. An easily bred species.
Remarks: Will seek shelter in snail shells when danger is present.
Difficulty of care: 4. This relatively peaceful mbuna is an excellent choice for a mbuna community tank.

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.





what's new | tropical fish home | rainforests | news | search | about | contact



Copyright Rhett Butler 1994-2009

The copy for fish.mongabay.com was written in 1994-1995. Therefore some information such as scientific names may be out of date. For this, I apologize. Feel free to send corrections to me.