Labeotropheus fuelleborni and Labeotropheus trewavasae

Cichlidae

Endemic to Lake Malawi, with a lot of local morphs including OB specimens. Two different species are known, Labeotropheus fuelleborni (I kept and bred a quartet from Katale Island) and Labeotropheus Trewavasae. It is argued that there are, in Lake Malawi, more than forty colour and/or geographic variants of those fishes.

Labeotropheus: see the relevant entry. Fuelleborni: In honour of the German surgeon-major and anthropologist Prof. Dr. F. Fuelleborn. Trewavasae: in honour of Dr E.Trewavas.

 15 cm. Badly kept aquarium specimens tend to be overgrown.

Labeotropheus fuelleborni: Males are a dark blue with orange fins. When excited, they turn a lighter shade blue with an orange tint. Females are marbled. Both sexes have the curved upper lip.

Labeotropheus trewavasse: "There are around 40 colour variations for this fish, depending on where it was located in Lake Malawi. Exhibits an elongated body shape with pointed anal and dorsal fins. Males are usually a rich blue with dark stripes and have yellow to brown on anal, caudal and dorsal fins. Females vary greatly however and can be speckled or marbled in various colours. They all have short lower jaw so they can scrape algae off surfaces". (1)

Males show – as a general rule – bright colours while females are generally speaking rather dull. It should be noted that most of the OB specimens (L. trewavasae) are females. The species is polychromatic; the colours of fish from different localities in the lake can vary considerably.

L. fuelleborni is found in the upper layers of water (as deep as 5 meters) while L. trewavasae is found in water as deep as 30 meters and sometimes more, even if - generally speaking - the actual depth is limited to 20 meters (this is also my personal experience when diving in Thumbi West).

7.7 to 8.5

22° - 25° C

Mark Ellison observes: Labeotropheus fuelleborni "inhabits the upper rocky regions of Lake Malawi, areas with a lot of turbulence in the water. These areas are rich in oxygen because the waves will wash over the rocks. [The fish] have apparently adapted to this environment because they require a high degree of oxygenation in the aquarium. This fish, like its cousin L. trewavasae is found all over the lake in many different color morphs (I am aware of at least 30). Currently there is not a very good system for differentiating between them all. " (2)

In the wild it feeds alone or in small groups with other species on the aufwuchs cover on rocks. It also feeds on worms, crustaceans, insects and plant matter. In the tank it will eagerly accept all kinds of food including pellets, flakes, tablets etc.

Other M’bunas, preferrably sturdy ones. Catfishes (lacustrine is a good but not exclusive choice) of the genus Synodontis.

Members of genus Pseudotropheus (beware of high risk of possible hybridization) and/or Melanochromis, to name but a few. L. fuelleborni will interbreed with L. trewavasae.

Nothing less than 200 liters. L. fuelleborni is believed to need more room but I – happily and repetitively - spawned a quartet in a tank of this size.

Both species are considered aggressive.

Once, one of my carrying females (L. fuelleborni) finished carrying in a plastic bucket (one of those used to change water) because of lack of space in my tank, without any problems either for her or for the fry. It was summer and a tiny internal filter was the only addition to this odd "release tank".

It is recommended to keep one male to two or three females.

Breeding these fish is easy. Generally talking, if the fish are correctly kept you will be “overstocked” in months. Both species are maternal mouthbrooders, as with all M’buna. Incubation should last about three weeks. I used to get a batch of 23 L. fuelleborni fry from a 10 cm female, which was not bad at all.