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This page will give a completely detailed profile of the selected
fish, from A to Z. The profiled fish will be chosen randomly by Badman,
and will come from the complete genre of tropical fish. New profiles
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Photo from: "aquarium fish".
Maylandia (Pseudotropheus) zebra
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Overview:
The Zebra was one of the first Africans imported into the hobby. Its'
striking colors, mating habits and different morphs have kept it one
of the most popular fish from the great rift lakes.
Quick stats:
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Listed tank sizes are the minimum
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| Size: |
Up to 4.75 inches (12cm) |
| Tank: |
48 inches |
| Strata: |
Bottom, middle, top |
| PH: |
7.5 to 8.5 |
| Hardness: |
Hard to very hard |
| Temperature: |
77°F to 82°F (22 to 28°C) |
Classification:
| Order: |
Perciformes |
| Suborder: |
Percoidei |
| Family: |
Cichlidae |
| Genera: |
Maylandia |
Common name:
Zebra, Cobalt blue Cichlid, Zebra Malawi Cichlid
Image gallery:
Additional
species photographs
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Distribution
Africa, lake Malawi. One of the Great rift lakes.
General Body Form:
Its forehead looks slightly swollen and they have the characteristic
thick lips. Taller and more thick set than other members of its species.
The soft rays of the anal and dorsal fin are pointed. The tail fin is
slightly curved in (concave).
M. Zebra in its' home water.
Photo from: "Cichlids from Eastern Africa, A Tetra publication.
Coloration:
The coloration of the zebra can vary widely. Ranging from Blue to Albino
morphs. This range of coloration is known as polychromatism. The most
common morph is the Blue variety, other include the checkered varieties
known as the Orange Blotch Morph (OB-morph), the light Blue Morph and
the White Morph. The Blue variety has a pale Blue background with seven
or eight Blue-Black bars on the body. The first two bars bend toward
the front of the fish. The soft rayed part of the Anal fin has four
Orange egg spots. The rear edge of the Dorsal fin has a row of less
distinct spots as well.
The OB-Morph has a light Yellow background with many Black blotches
of different shapes and sizes placed randomly across the body. This
morph consists mostly of females and a male OB is very rare. The males
have a Bluish sheen, which becomes very distinct at breeding time.
The other Morphs are less common and there is some thought that they
may be a closely related but separate species.
OB-Morph form.
Photo from "Cichlids from Eastern Africa, A Tetra publication"
Maintenance:
Keeping the Zebras is not difficult as long as certain requirements
are met. They should be kept in a large community aquarium with other
Mbuna type fish like the species from the Labeotropheus, Melanochromis
as well as others from the Pseudotropheus Genus. The minimum length
of the tank should be four feet. The aquarium should try to mimic the
natural rubble zone where they live. This includes extensive rockwork
with caves and other hiding places that kind of divide the tank into
different territories. Plants are not needed and will be constantly
dug up by the fish. As noted from the stats above these fish prefer
a hark alkaline water with a fairly high pH. I have maintained this
by using a mixture of crushed coral as a substrate. Feeding is not a
problem as all types of food are taken, weather flake or frozen, it
should contain a high content of plant material. live food like earthworms
and the such should be offered only occasionally as they are low in
fibers and not the best choice.
Biotope:
Rocky regions of the lake free of sediment..
Otter point, Lake Malawi.
Photo from "Cichlids from Eastern Africa, A Tetra publication"
Breeding:
Breeding of the fish from the Rift Lakes is one of the most fascinating
things a hobbyist can observe. They are known as mouthbrooders. No bonding
takes place between the male and females of the species and unlike their
South American cousins one female will not be enough for the male. You
should have at least a ratio of three females to each male in the tank.
Right after the spawning males and females go their own ways and only
the mother will care for the eggs and fry. The preferred spawning site
is a flat stone in a covered secluded place. The eggs are still unfertilized
when the female takes them in her mouth. They are fertilized when the
female follows the male with her mouth close to his anal fin. The egg
spots play an important role as it is thought that the female believes
these are more eggs and goes to retrieve them. At this moment the male
releases his sperm and fertilizes the eggs in her mouth. The eggs are
rich with yolk and take a long time to hatch. Once hatched the yolk
sac takes about 20 days to be absorbed. Due to their larger size the
fry can be fed finely crushed flake food or even Daphnia if you can
find it. If raised in a community setting special feeding should not
be needed as the fry will be able to find small left over food particles
floating in the tank. One of the best things to observe is the fry retreating
back into the mothers mouth when danger nears.
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