WHAT'S NEW ACROSS THE WORLD
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©by Laif DeMason
I have always wondered just what is the central driving force for hobbyists’ tastes in cichlids. I guess seeing the fish in person in a store, or show, or a fellow hobbyist’s tank usually starts the craving off. Anyway, it would appear the internet has replaced the “in person” visit. Recently, I received several calls about Protomelas kirkii, an old species around in the early 1980s, and quickly replaced by the Red Empress when that species appeared. “Why would anyone want P. kirkii?” I thought. Well, now I know…
Here’s “what’s new” on the cichlid scene:
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Lake Tanganyika
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WHAT'S NEW: LAKE TANGANYIKA
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Still seemingly very popular among Tanganyika fans are the goby cichlids, especially Eretmodus. Here a male Eretmodus cyanostictus from Malasa Island, Tanzania, sporting blue dots along its head and upper body.
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Caught off Nsumbu, Zambia is a red form of Tropheus similar to the Kachese variety to the west, but displaying deeper red coloration. These Nsumbu Reds were exported recently due to current popular demand for Tropheus.
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Malawi
Recent seasonal collections around Itungi Port, Tanzania, have succeeded in catching and exporting Protomelas labridens. A beautiful blue-green fish with red marks in the dorsal and caudal fins. Photo by A. Konings.
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Predatory fishes are not often seen in numbers in any one location in the lake. Seasonally large individuals can be captured when they come inshore to breed. Here is just such a fish, Hemiteaniochromis uroteania from Itungi Port.
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West Africa and Neotropics
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WHAT'S NEW: WEST AFRICA and NEOTROPICS
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Most of the many West African cichlids in the hobby are not regularly collected and exported for various reasons. The best bet is to obtain your favorites from a fellow breeder who specializes in these fishes. Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi is such a species; beautiful, but most likely to be offered by a breeder.
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The pike cichlids’ popularity is ongoing. One of the reasons is the large number of species and varieties to enjoy. Here Crenicichla sveni from Colombia can occasionally be found in aquarium stores for sale. Not one to pass up!
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