Physical description: P. socolofi has a "typical" mbuna shape. The coloring of the fish is golden yellow or pale blue to dark blue. On the blue morph, faint bands can sometimes be seen. Usually the blue variant is marked with a black ridge along the upper part of the dorsal fin and a black band on the first rays of the anal fin. The yellow morphs are usually not marked. Size/Length: Males to 4.7" (11 cm), females to 4" (10 cm) Similar species: Barlow's Mbuna ( P. barlowi), Zebra Mbuna ( P. zebra) Habitat: Eastern Africa; found on the eastern coast of Lake Malawi and around the Likoma Islands. S: All Aquarium: 40" (100 cm) or 40 gallons (150 L). Use rock structures that reach the surface of the water. Provide hiding places among these structures. Robust, live plants can be used as this fish will not usually bother them. Leave open swimming areas. Water chemistry: pH 7.5-9.0 (8.1), 12-25 dH (16), 73-81°F (23-27°C) Social behavior: P. socolofi is among the most peaceful of Pseudotropheus species. Although territorial, this fish does well with peaceful mbunas and Peacocks. Suggested companions: Small Haplochromines, mbunas, Synodontis, Aulonocara FOOD: Algae; flake; live; snails, bloodworms, mosquito larvae, microorganisms, crustaceans, snails, Tubifex ; pellets; tablets; plant matter; vegetables; peas, lettuce, spinach; fruit. Sexual differences: Males have three to four, distinct egg-spots on the anal fin and have slightly longer pelvic fins. Breeding techniques: Use water with a temperature from 77-82°F (25-28°C), a pH from 8.0-8.3, and a hardness from 10-16 dH. The male is polygamous, so use several females. As many as 60 eggs are laid and fertilized by the dummy-egg method. The female mouth broods the eggs for 20-25 days. The blue colored fry emerge and can be fed Artemia , Cyclops , and Daphni a. The female should be removed 6-10 days after the fry are released from the female's mouth. Breeding potential: 7. A moderately difficult fish to breed. Remarks: P. socolofi differs from other mbunas by its lack of clear sexual dichromatism. Difficulty of care: 4. A relatively peaceful mbuna. 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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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. |
