Transvestite cichlid
| Transvestite cichlid | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Nanochromis transvestitus | ||||||||||||
| Stewart & Roberts , 1984 |
The transvestite cichlid ( Nanochromis transvestitus ), also known as the Congo dwarf cichlid , is a cichlid from western central Africa . The Latin species name transvestitus refers to the fact that in this fish species the gender role seems to be reversed at first glance, as the female animals are much more strongly colored than the male.
distribution and habitat
The transvestite cichlid is native to the Congo Basin and is endemic there in the Mai-Ndombe Lake and the connected water system. Flat, calm riparian zones are described as its habitat, the water is low in minerals and acidic with a pH value of 4.5 to 6.0. The fish is classified as “Critically Endangered” (EN) on the IUCN's “Red List of Endangered Species” . The animals feed mainly on insects and other microorganisms, which they catch on the surface and in the open water as well as track them down in the sandy soil.
features
Like all species of the genus Nanochromis, the fish are relatively small, although the information varies depending on the source. The males reach a body length of six to seven centimeters, the females remain somewhat smaller. The basic shape is slim with an elongated dorsal fin. The body is bluish gray in color and usually has weakly pronounced dark transverse bands that continue more clearly on the fins. The top of the head is dark, while the throat area and the gill covers have a metallic golden shimmer. The females also have vertical white stripes in the dorsal, caudal and anal fins and a purple-red belly. In general, the coloration is significantly more contrasting during courtship and brood care.
Reproduction
As is typical for the genus, the transvestite cichlid is a monogamous cave-breeder with pronounced brood care in the form of a " father-mother family ". Once a couple has found each other, suitable caves are freed from sand and foreign bodies by both partners as part of the courtship ritual. After that, 40 to 60 eggs are laid on the walls of the cave. The females then guard the clutch, remove dead eggs and use their fins to fan them to ensure the supply of fresh water. Meanwhile, the male defends the area surrounding the breeding cave, whereby larger fish are also attacked. The fry hatch after 8 to 10 days and are then guided by both parents.
Aquarium keeping
This dwarf cichlid was first imported to Germany at the end of the 1980s, but to this day it is seldom found in the aquarium , not least because of its requirements for keeping conditions . In the aquarium, the transvestite cichlid needs, among other things, acidic, soft water with a pH value between 4.5 and 6.0 and a total hardness of up to 5 ° dH as well as sandy soil and a variety of cover options. Socialization with other fish species is also made more difficult by the fact that the normally peaceful fish, like almost all cichlids, show pronounced territorial behavior not only towards other species but also towards all other pool occupants when they are brood .
In the meantime, the transvestite cichlid is also successfully bred in captivity in Europe, which is positive in terms of the threat to the population in the original biotope.
literature
- Anton Lamboj: West African dwarf cichlids , Bede Verlag, Ruhmannsfelden 1999, ISBN 3-931-792-06-4
Individual evidence
Web links
- Transvestite cichlid on Fishbase.org (English)