Tropheus
Encyclopedia
Tropheus is a small genus
of six species
of cichlid
fish
endemic to Lake Tanganyika
in East Africa
. The genus Tropheus is widespread across all regions of lake Tanganyika, from Burundi in the North to Zambia in the South.Males and females are relatively similar but do display obvious sexual dimorphism
. Males attain a somewhat larger size. All species maternally mouthbrood their eggs and fry and it is this characteristic that provides their latin
name. Tropheus comes from the Greek "trophos
" which means "to nurture". The genus is fished lightly by the local population but has never become a staple food fish due to its relatively small size and its habitat which enables it to dart between rocks when threatened.
Most species occur along the coastal fringes of the lake at depths of less than 3 metres. These rocky shores, with numerous rocky outcroppings and boulder formations form a habitat similar to many of the mbuna
cichlids of Lake Malawi. This habitat provides shelter and, due to the shallow depth and the long hours of strong sunlight, heavy algal growth on which the Tropheus feed. The only tropheus species to dwell further out and deeper in the lake is Tropheus Duboisi which in general inhabits deeper regions of the lake down to around 15-20 metres. All species are algal grazers and have underslung mouths adapted to rasping algae
and microinvertebrates from submerged rocks.
The genus is popular with aquarium hobbyists due to the beautiful markings and interesting behaviour of the fish. Tropheus Moorii in particular has become something of a cult fish within the hobby and many keepers have specialised in keeping nothing else.
Six species of Tropheus are currently recognised:
Tropheus species have been popular in the aquarium trade for nearly a century. The fish have, however gained something of a reputation for fragility and are regarded by many cichlid keeping aquarists to be rather demanding to keep. It is certainly true that they should not be considered beginner fish but neither should they be unfairly derided as difficult. When kept in appropriate conditions, they make superb aquarium fish.
The aquarium should be set up with piles of flat rocks (slate is a good choice) built up to form crevices and caves for the fish to withdraw into and to help split the tank up and provide territorial boundaries. Fine gravel is suitable, however coral sand or marble acts as a pH buffer increasing the alkalinity and hardness of the water in the aquarium. As Tropheus occur in the surge zone in the wild, the water in the aquarium should be well oxygenated. The aquarium should be well filtered, and small volumes of water should be changed frequently. The water chemistry and temperature should match their natural habitat in Lake Tanganyika
, with temperature being very stable at around 25.5c.
and other vegetable matters. But even these contain just as much protein as a quality pellet food. Remember, just because it is green does not mean it's all vegetable matter. That's just dye. They will also do very well on fresh vegetable matters such as romaine lettuce and spinach. The general consensus on feeding is that it is preferable to feed small amounts throughout the day than to give one big feed, because this better matches the feeding behavior of herbivores.
(Cryptobia
sp.) and/or numerous bacterial species that cause intestinal problems in the genus. Affected fishes discharge white feces, may sway or have swim-bladder problems and frequently stop eating. As with every aspect of fish keeping, prevention is better than cure.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of six species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of 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...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
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...
in East Africa
East Africa
East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...
. The genus Tropheus is widespread across all regions of lake Tanganyika, from Burundi in the North to Zambia in the South.Males and females are relatively similar but do display obvious sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
. Males attain a somewhat larger size. All species maternally mouthbrood their eggs and fry and it is this characteristic that provides their latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
name. Tropheus comes from the Greek "trophos
Trophos
Trophos is a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics to treat both orphan neurodegenerative diseases and more prevalent disorders....
" which means "to nurture". The genus is fished lightly by the local population but has never become a staple food fish due to its relatively small size and its habitat which enables it to dart between rocks when threatened.
Most species occur along the coastal fringes of the lake at depths of less than 3 metres. These rocky shores, with numerous rocky outcroppings and boulder formations form a habitat similar to many of 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...
cichlids of Lake Malawi. This habitat provides shelter and, due to the shallow depth and the long hours of strong sunlight, heavy algal growth on which the Tropheus feed. The only tropheus species to dwell further out and deeper in the lake is Tropheus Duboisi which in general inhabits deeper regions of the lake down to around 15-20 metres. All species are algal grazers and have underslung mouths adapted to rasping algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
and microinvertebrates from submerged rocks.
The genus is popular with aquarium hobbyists due to the beautiful markings and interesting behaviour of the fish. Tropheus Moorii in particular has become something of a cult fish within the hobby and many keepers have specialised in keeping nothing else.
Classification
- Tropheus annectensTropheus annectensTropheus annectens is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...
Boulenger, 1900 - Tropheus brichardiTropheus brichardiTropheus brichardi is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:...
Nelissen & Thys van den Audenaerde, 1975 - Tropheus duboisiTropheus duboisiTropheus duboisi is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-Source:* Bigirimana, C. 2005. . Downloaded on 5 August 2007....
Marlier, 1959 - Tropheus mooriiTropheus mooriiThe blunthead cichlid, Tropheus moorii, is a species of African Cichlids found in Lake Tanganyika. There are over 40 different morphs of this species disbursed throughout the lake. The fish comes in many colors and patterns ranging from dark green to flame red and yellow. They are found in many...
Boulenger, 1898 - Tropheus kasabaeTropheus kasabaeTropheus kasabae is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-References:* Bigirimana, C. 2005. . Downloaded on 5 August 2007....
Nelissen, 1977 - Tropheus polliTropheus polliTropheus polli is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-Source:* Bigirimana, C. 2005. . Downloaded on 5 August 2007....
Axelrod, 1977
In the Aquarium
Aquarium Set-Up
Tropheus are best kept in species tanks. They are definitely not suitable community tank fish because their unique requirements will not be met in a mixed set-up and because of their innate aggression. Some individuals are more aggressive than others and this is influenced by factors related to the aquarium such as volume and mix of individuals. For these reasons a 300 litre aquarium should be considered the minimum volume and the rule here is definitely "the bigger the better". They should be kept in a group of at least 15 individuals in order to allow aggression to be diffused between the group and not aimed purely at smaller or weaker individuals. A large shoal of these fish is a stunning sight and the fish will display deeper and richer colours and markings when kept in a group.The aquarium should be set up with piles of flat rocks (slate is a good choice) built up to form crevices and caves for the fish to withdraw into and to help split the tank up and provide territorial boundaries. Fine gravel is suitable, however coral sand or marble acts as a pH buffer increasing the alkalinity and hardness of the water in the aquarium. As Tropheus occur in the surge zone in the wild, the water in the aquarium should be well oxygenated. The aquarium should be well filtered, and small volumes of water should be changed frequently. The water chemistry and temperature should match their natural habitat in 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...
, with temperature being very stable at around 25.5c.
Feeding
Tropheus are algae grazers and in the wild will only consume minute quantities of animal food (ie: micro-organisms taken in with the algae whilst grazing). They have a very long digestive tract, and therefore have trouble dealing with higher protein foods. As a result, many people say that the majority of commercially available fish foods are unsuitable for them as they are derived from fish rather than vegetable matter. There are many myths concerning this topic however, and tropheus must be provided with a reasonable amount of protein. Protein in quality foods is actually derived from fish. There are several superb vegetable flakes that are available in all shops based on spirulinaSpirulina
Spirulina may refer to:* Spirulina , a health-food supplement* Spirulina , a cyanobacterium group* Ochthephila spirulina, species of gastropod in the Hygromiidae family...
and other vegetable matters. But even these contain just as much protein as a quality pellet food. Remember, just because it is green does not mean it's all vegetable matter. That's just dye. They will also do very well on fresh vegetable matters such as romaine lettuce and spinach. The general consensus on feeding is that it is preferable to feed small amounts throughout the day than to give one big feed, because this better matches the feeding behavior of herbivores.
Diseases
Tropheus are susceptible to many viral, bacterial and stress-related diseases ,delicate as long as the above issues with water quality and feeding are addressed. They are however known to be particularly prone to a condition called "bloat" which can be very hard to deal with. Bloat is purported to be caused from a range of organisms which include the flagellateFlagellate
Flagellates are organisms with one or more whip-like organelles called flagella. Some cells in animals may be flagellate, for instance the spermatozoa of most phyla. Flowering plants do not produce flagellate cells, but ferns, mosses, green algae, some gymnosperms and other closely related plants...
(Cryptobia
Cryptobia
-Introduction:Cryptobia species are protozoa that can lead to disease in fish. C. branchialis is an ectoparasite that lives on the skin or gills of fish, and the other four pathogenic species are endoparasites that live in the circulatory system or intestines.Marine and freshwater fish can be...
sp.) and/or numerous bacterial species that cause intestinal problems in the genus. Affected fishes discharge white feces, may sway or have swim-bladder problems and frequently stop eating. As with every aspect of fish keeping, prevention is better than cure.
External links
- http://www.cichlidexplorer.com/category/lake-tanganyika-cichlids/tropheini/ Index of Tropheus Species