Sciaenochromis
Sciaenochromis is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. The species are popular in the aquarium hobby, most notably S. fryeri.
| Sciaenochromis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male S. fryeri | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Tribe: | Haplochromini |
| Genus: | Sciaenochromis Eccles & Trewavas, 1989 |
| Type species | |
| Haplochromis ahli Trewavas, 1935 | |
Only males possess the impressive, electric blue coloration, while females are dull grey, and generally similar to the females of Aulonocara species. All Sciaenochromis are piscivores (fish-eaters) and prey mainly upon the fry of mbuna and other haplochromine cichlids.
Species
There are currently four recognized species in this genus:[1]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Sciaenochromis ahli (Trewavas, 1935) | Electric Blue Hap | Lake Malawi |
| Sciaenochromis benthicola Konings, 1993 | Lake Malawi | ||
| Sciaenochromis fryeri Konings, 1993 | Lake Malawi | |
| Sciaenochromis psammophilus Konings, 1993 | Electric Blue Kande | Lake Malawi | |
In the aquarium
Like all cichlids from Lake Malawi, they are best maintained in hard, alkaline water. Sciaenochromis are best kept in tanks with volumes greater than 210 L (55 gal). This is an aggressive fish, and the minimum tank size of 210 litres is only acceptable with a trio of 1 male and 2 females. When more than one male is kept, experts recommend a minimum tank size of 350 litres (77 imp gal; 92 US gal) being the minimum. Males can also display aggression towards similarly-coloured fish of other species, for example Aulonocara or Placidochromis. its better to be careful having an 'Electric Blue Hap' in an aquarium.
References
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). Species of Sciaenochromis in FishBase. April 2013 version.
Media related to Sciaenochromis at Wikimedia Commons