| By the time this issue finds itself in readers’ hands, spring should
rapidly be approaching … for some of us, at least. Springtime is a great
time to take stock of your set-up, get some fresh air circulating in that
fishroom, and maybe clean things up a bit. It’s also a great time to make
some new additions to your tanks. Hopefully, this issue of Cichlid News
will provide suitable inspiration.
One of my favorite responsibilities as editor of CN
involves harassing friends and acquaintances, and making them put “pen
to paper.” There are people out there with volumes of information stored
in their heads, and it is my job to extract it. My unfortunate victim this
month is also my good friend and fishkeeping mentor, Steve White. Being
that there are few people in the world with more experience and infatuation
with Chromidotilapia species, it seems only natural that he should
present an overview of the entire genus from a historical perspective.
Some authors need “prodding,” while others certainly do not. Once such
author who needs no pushing is Ad Konings, who, after getting a break from
the last issue, returns from Africa with an exciting article on Tropheus
from Central Tanzania. Not only does he provide readers with a commentary
on recent developments in genetic analyses of the genus, he also reveals
a new form of Tropheus. Juan Miguel Artigas Azas and Radek Bednarczuk
are also prolific authors, known for writing about New World species. In
this issue, Juan Miguel discusses Thorichthys socolofi, a peaceful
species from the northern Chiapas area of Mexico, while Radek gives a short
summary on the keeping and breeding of a hobby favorite, Apistogramma
bitaeniata. Rounding out this issue are two Danish authors. Thomas
Andersen is a name that should now be familiar to fans of Tanganyikan cichlids.
In this issue, he discusses the sand-dwelling Lestradea perspicax,
a species adapted to living above the sandy bottom. Not to be outdone,
Kenneth Duelund presents an article on the “Holy Grail” of Lake Malawi
cichlids, Copadichromis sp. “virginalis firecrest.” A tale involving
mystery, intrigue, and trips to “secret” fishrooms, Kenneth’s article also
includes information on breeding the species … if you are lucky enough
to get your hands on some.
Keen readers will also notice a new feature premiering
in this issue of CN: “My 6 Favorite Cichlids.” Who did we pick to
be the first to confront the difficult task of narrowing down their favorite
species? None other than our very own Ad Konings. Any requests for future
installments? E-mail us at: .
So, as always, sit back and enjoy this issue of Cichlid News.
I hope it satisfies your thirst for the beautiful and/or rare.
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