This issue of Cichlid News truly has something for everyone. We congratulate Editor Ad Konings on the occasion of publication of the third edition of his seminal book, Tanganyika Cichlids in their natural habitat. Sixteen years in the making, and 400+ pages in lavishly illustrated length, we offer an excerpt from it: The Neolamprologus falcicula Superspecies, an interesting article on these ‘Deep Water Princesses’. Noted Tanganyika authority Pam Chin offers her review of the book in her subsequent article.
Next, regular contributor Oliver Lucanus offers us a photo of and a justification of what may be the ‘real’ Heros severus as originally described by Heckel (1840). It is a fantastic cichlid, as are the three Cichla species also featured in the article about new cichlids from the upper Rio Negro.
Uwe Werner introduces us to the fantastic Lamprologus tigripictilis, the “Tiger” cichlid from the lower Congo rapids. He shares information about its basic biology and taxonomy, as well as how he was able to spawn them in the aquarium.
Hans van Heusden, who lives and works in Tanzania, and who has written of his collecting exploits for us before, goes ‘fishing’ for the rare and mysterious riverine cichlid Ctenochromis pectoralis. He is able to find and collect them from two very different Tanzanian habitats, Chemka Springs and the Ruvu River, and brings one home to the aquarium.
Juan Miguel Artigas Azas offers his second and final installment on the “Desert Cichlid”, Herichthys minkleyi from Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico, which began in the previous, April issue. The photos of this interesting cichlid accompanying this second part are outstanding.
Finally, eclectic Canadian aquarist Jim Cumming treats us to his Favorite 6 species, a difficult task for a man who has kept hundreds of different species of various geographic provenances in his decades of cichlid breeding experience. We look forward to some excellent articles to come from Jim about many of them.
Enjoy this issue of Cichlid News. Hope to see many of you at the ACA Convention.
