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Cichlids
/ Africa / Lake Tanganyika / Duboisi
Duboisi
Tropheus duboisi | Pictures
Synonyms: None
Physical description:
A steep-forehead marks this species.
The body color is slate gray to black with a
white bar that runs down the midsection of the body.
This marking ends just before reaching the belly.
On some variations this stripe may be
yellow, wide, or reach the belly.
Young are black and spotted with a number of white to blue spots.
Many consider the young to be more intriguing
than the adults.
Size/Length: To 4.7" (12 cm)
Similar species: Tropheus
brichardi, T. moorii
Habitat: Eastern Africa.
T. duboisi fills a different ecological niche from
other Tropheus
in Lake Tanganyika; it lives at depths of 10-50 feet (3-15 m) in rocky zones, considerably
deeper than T. moorii
.
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: A tank with dimensions of 36" (91 cm) with a volume of 45 gallons (170 L) is sufficient.
See
suggestions for T. moori
in the tank set-up.
Water chemistry: pH 7.3-9.2 (8.1), 8-22 dH (15), 77-82°F (25-28°C)
Social behavior: Not a schooling fish.
T. duboisi
is territorial but not as aggressive as
T. moorii.
This fish is peaceful towards other
species.
Best kept singly or in pairs.
Like other Tropheus, a matriarchal family is formed to care for the
young.
Suggested companions: Julidochromis,
Neolamprologus, Eretmodus,
Synodontis, Lamprologus.
FOOD: Algae; live; crustaceans, aquatic insects, black mosquito larvae; vegetables; lettuce,
spinach, peas; oatmeal; tablets; flakes.
See
T. moorii for other recommendations.
Sexual differences: Difficult to distinguish; males have longer pelvic fins and lack the white patches
that adult female fish develop.
Breeding techniques: Use water with a pH from 8.5-9.0 and a temperature from 81-84°F (27-29°C).
Similar
to T. moorii
.
An open-water spawner, the eggs are allowed to drop into the crevices between rocks before
they are picked up by the female.
5-15 eggs are mouthbrooded for 25-30 days and the fry are guarded for a week after emerging.
Start
feeding with Artemia
nauplii, Cyclops
nauplii, and dry foods.
Breeding potential: 7.
Breeding is moderately difficult.
Remarks: Several color morphs are known.
Sensitive to changes in water chemistry.
See
notes under T. moorii
.
Difficulty of care: 7.
A sensitive fish that is aggressive towards its own species when not kept in pairs.
See
T. moorii
for other notes.
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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