Nanochromis

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Nanochromis
Nanochromis nudiceps

Nanochromis nudiceps

Systematics
Ovalentaria
Order : Cichliformes
Family : Cichlids (Cichlidae)
Subfamily : Pseudocrenilabrinae
Tribe : Chromidotilapiini
Genre : Nanochromis
Scientific name
Nanochromis
Pellegrin , 1904

Nanochromis ( lat .: “Nano” = dwarf + “chromis” = old name for cichlids) describes a genus of small fish from the family of cichlids that are native to Central and West Africa. The type species is Nanochromis nudiceps .

features

The body shape of the fish is slim with a relatively high back cross-section, the head and mouth are round in profile. The dorsal fin is set long, the caudal fin round to spatulate. Depending on the species, a body length of four to a maximum of eight centimeters is achieved. The basic color is mostly a metallic gray-blue, with cross bars on the back of the body that continue into the dorsal fin. As with the related genera Congochromis , Pelvicachromis and others, there are also different location variants in which the animals within a species can clearly differ in color.

The species of the genus, like many cichlids, show a pronounced sexual dimorphism . The males are generally much larger and their flossing is more pronounced, with the tips of the dorsal and anal fins drawn out in the shape of a flag. The coloring of the male animals is also much stronger. An exception is the species N. transvestitus , in which the males are rather plain and the females are colored in a contrasting way, from which the Latin species name is derived.

All Nanochromis species are pair-forming monogamous hide- and- seek breeders in which the female takes care of the brood and larvae in the form of a “ father-mother family ”, while the male defends the brood cavity. After the juveniles swim free, both partners take care of the brood together, with aggressive defense against significantly larger fish.

habitat

The Nanochromis species are native to the rivers of the Congo Basin , where they mainly inhabit relatively flat, shady stretches of water with moderate currents and sandy bottoms. The water is generally poor in minerals, the pH value is in the acidic range between 4.5 and 6.0.

species

After Stiassny & Schliewen outsourced some species to the new genus Congochromis as part of a reorganization in 2007 , Nanochromis now includes the following fish species:

Aquaristics

The Nanochromis species are rarely found in the aquarium hobby, as they place considerable demands on the keeping conditions for successful maintenance and are rarely found in trade, but in return do not reach the size and splendor of color of many cichlids from South America or the African ditch lakes . Nevertheless, if the conditions are right, they can be very interesting pets due to their behavior.

literature

  • Anton Lamboj: The Cichlids of Western Africa , Schmettkamp Verlag, Bornheim 2006, ISBN 3-8665-9000-8
  • Anton Lamboj: West African dwarf cichlids , Bede Verlag, Ruhmannsfelden 1999, ISBN 3-931-792-06-4
  • Rüdiger Riehl , Hans A. Baensch : Aquarien Atlas, Volume 1 , 15th edition, Mergus Verlag, Melle 2007, ISBN 978-3-88244-227-4
  • Tyson R Roberts, Donald J Stewart: An ecological and systematic survey of fishes in the rapids of the lower Zaire or Congo River. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, v. 147, no.6 online

Web links