Ectodus descampsii
| Ectodus descampsii | ||||||||||||
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Ectodus descampsii |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Ectodus | ||||||||||||
| Boulenger , 1898 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Ectodus descampsii | ||||||||||||
| Boulenger , 1898 |
Ectodus descampsii belongs to the family of cichlids (Cichlidae). The fish are 10 to 12 cm tall.
habitat
Ectodus descampsii lives in loose schools in the sandy bays of Lake Tanganyika in Africa. In the event of danger, the fish bury themselves in the sandy bottom at lightning speed and are therefore difficult to find for predators. They are omnivores and also chew the sandy soil for food.
Differentiation of the sexes
It is difficult to differentiate between the sexes. Both sexes have a black point on the dorsal fin, which is surrounded by a blue patch of color. In males this point and the color patch are more pronounced. Sexually active males also often have pronounced yellow stripes along the edges of the caudal fin, ventral fin, and pectoral fins.
Reproduction
The male forms a sand nest up to half a meter in diameter, which is defended against other fish. If a female is found, the eggs are inseminated in the sand nest whereupon the female takes the eggs in her mouth. The female keeps the eggs or hatched fry in the mouth for up to 20 weeks for protection (maternal mouthbrooders ).
Aquaristics
Ectodus descampsii is not very assertive, so it should be kept in a species aquarium or in a biotope aquarium together with other sand cichlids or open water fish.