Neolamprologus multifasciatus
Encyclopedia
Neolamprologus multifasciatus is one of the small shell-dwelling cichlid
s endemic to Lake Tanganyika
. The male reaches five centimeters in length, and the female only 2.5 cm. This makes them one of the smallest cichlid species in the world. Its natural habitat is the neothauma
shell beds of Lake Tanganyika
, where it forms huge colonies with thousands of individuals. Their unique behavior is associated with their affinity to shells. They burrow sand to move shells, take refuge in shells and also breed in them. They have pale white coloring with black vertical bars running the length of their bodies. The species is monomorphic, meaning sexing individuals is extremely hard or impossible.
Tank requirements are very similar to other African cichlids, an example is the Mbuna
. Unique requirements include a sandy substrate for burrowing and the placement of shells. A tank should have at least one shell per fish, ideally two.
Two other species of fish are similar to N. multifasciatus, Neolamprologus similis
[3] and Neolamprologus brevis
[4]. The three species are similar enough that stores normally sell them all under the common name "shellies" or "shell dwellers".
World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.fishbase.org, version (07/2007).
World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.fishbase.org, version (07/2007).
Cichlid
Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
s endemic to Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
. The male reaches five centimeters in length, and the female only 2.5 cm. This makes them one of the smallest cichlid species in the world. Its natural habitat is the neothauma
Neothauma tanganyicense
Neothauma tanganyicense is a species of freshwater snail with a gill and an operculum, an aquatic gastropod mollusc in the family Viviparidae.This is the only species in the genus Neothauma.- Distribution :...
shell beds of Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
, where it forms huge colonies with thousands of individuals. Their unique behavior is associated with their affinity to shells. They burrow sand to move shells, take refuge in shells and also breed in them. They have pale white coloring with black vertical bars running the length of their bodies. The species is monomorphic, meaning sexing individuals is extremely hard or impossible.
Aquarium care
In the aquarium trade N. multifasciatus are commonly known as "multies" and are moderately popular. Stores specializing in fish or quality fish stores will at least be aware of shell dwelling fish even if they are not stocked at that time. They are not as popular as larger cichlids but because they are suitable for smaller tanks and due to their prolific nature they still are widely available.Tank requirements are very similar to other African cichlids, an example is the Mbuna
Mbuna
Mbuna is the common name for a large group of African cichlids from Lake Malawi. The name mbuna means "rockfish" in the language of the Tonga people of Malawi...
. Unique requirements include a sandy substrate for burrowing and the placement of shells. A tank should have at least one shell per fish, ideally two.
Two other species of fish are similar to N. multifasciatus, Neolamprologus similis
Neolamprologus similis
Neolamprologus similis is a shell-dwelling cichlid native to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa. N. similis is copper coloured with vertical white stripes running from the head to near the base of the tail. It typically grows to between four and six centimeters in size...
[3] and Neolamprologus brevis
Neolamprologus brevis
Neolamprologus brevis is a small shell-dwelling cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika. The male reaches 5.5 centimeters in length, and the female is a bit smaller. N. brevis is unusual among shell-dwelling cichlids in that both fish in a pair share the same shell...
[4]. The three species are similar enough that stores normally sell them all under the common name "shellies" or "shell dwellers".
External links
- Neolamprologus similis http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=47104&genusname=Neolamprologus&speciesname=similis Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2007.FishBase.
World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.fishbase.org, version (07/2007).
- Neolamprologus brevis http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=8651&genusname=Neolamprologus&speciesname=brevis Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2007.FishBase.
World Wide Web electronic publication.
www.fishbase.org, version (07/2007).
- Neolamprologus multifasciatus http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/60602/summ Bigirimana, C. 2005. Neolamprologus multifasciatus. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
. Downloaded on 27 February 2007.