Pseudotropheus acei is a 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...

 from Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...

 that grows to around 7 inches in length. There are two different varieties found, the most common Pseudotropheus acei (Msuli), and the white-tail Pseudotropheus acei (Ngara). Like most Mbuna, it dwells in shallower waters, however it will sometimes go near the surface, which is very uncommon for Mbunas. It is a very common fish for fish-keepers

Fishkeeping

Fishkeeping is a popular hobby concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a fishkeeping industry, as a branch of agriculture.-Types of fishkeeping systems:...

. It gets its common name from its blue body and yellow tail. Originally discovered in 1922 by Regan, the Acei was originally classified as Pseudotropheus

Pseudotropheus

Pseudotropheus is a genus of rock dwelling cichlids found in Lake Malawi. Like some other large cichlid genera, such as Cichlasoma, a number of related fishes have been recently re-assigned to different genera such as Tropheops or Maylandia...

, but was later changed to Gephyrochromis

Gephyrochromis

Gephyrochromis is a small genus of cichlid fish. The genus contains two species; Gephyrochromis lawsii and Gephyrochromis moorii, both of which are endemic to Lake Malawi in east Africa.-References:...

and then back again. It prefers the sandy and rock filled shoreline where sunken logs are easily accessed. This species has developed the advantage of being able to harvest algae from submerged logs and roots. They are equipped with typical Gephyrochromid cuspid-like teeth that are flat for removing epixlyic or epilithic algae from wood. In the lake, schools of 30-50 individuals surrounding a large log are not uncommon, however in the rocky areas; schools usually consist of 3-10 individuals

Fish-keeping

These mbunas are omnivorous but prefer plants and algae in their diet. If they are to be fed staple, then any food made for African Cichlid

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 will do. Most vegetable matter will work as well. These fish are possibly the most peaceful fish in the Mbuna family, and because of this it is not necessary a male-female ratio. Their preferred water conditions are a pH of above 7.5 and a temperature of 78–82 °F (26–28 °C).

Breeding

Pseudotropheus acei is an ovophile mouth brooder, which means that the female will incubate and hatch the eggs in her buchal pouch, and then continue to hold the fry until the yolk sacs have been consumed. A typical holding period for this Cichlid is three weeks, and the female will not eat during this time. Females can have around 50 fry per spawning, although this can greatly vary depending on her size and experience. Once the eggs are done incubating the female spits them out and they are left to fend for themselves.

Anatomy

Acei like most mbunas have a very long intestine so they can live of a few bites of algae a day. These fish are at high risk for Malawi bloat. Bloat is caused by a protozoan that multiplies when a fish is under stress or consuming an improper diet. The protozoans multiply enough that they cause blockages in the intestines, so neither food nor gases can pass, causing them to become bloated. The bloat eventually damages their liver, swim bladder, and kidneys so much that they die in 24-78 hours. Acei have bicuspid teeth like the rest of the pseudotropheus genus.