Malawi Trout (Champsochromis caeruleus) Care Guide
Streamlined open-water predator from Lake Malawi reaching 35 cm. Males iridescent blue with green sheen and forked tail.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Champsochromis caeruleus is a species in the family Cichlidae. Streamlined open-water predator from Lake Malawi reaching 35 cm. Males iridescent blue with green sheen and forked tail. Active swimmer chasing utaka schools — needs 700 L+ tank with strong filtration.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Champsochromis
- Scientific name: Champsochromis caeruleus
- Other names: Trout Cichlid
- Origin: Africa, Lake Malawi
Habitat
Endemic to Lake Malawi, occurring in open water and over intermediate habitats. A large, fast-swimming predatory hap that pursues open-water prey fishes. A maternal mouthbrooder that requires a long aquarium with ample swimming space.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 700 L
- Temperature: 24-27 °C
- pH: 7.8-8.6
- GH: 10-20 °dGH
- Adult size: 28-35 cm
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Difficulty: advanced
Diet
Classified as carnivore. Recommended feeding frequency: 2x daily. In captivity, offer a varied diet appropriate to the species — quality prepared foods supplemented with frozen or live items of suitable size.
Compatibility
- Temperament: semi-aggressive
- Swimming level: middle
- Compatible tank mates: Large hap species
- Avoid with: Mbuna, Tropheus, Discus, Apistogramma, Tetras, Small fish, Mbuna
Breeding
- Breeding strategy: mouthbrooder
- Breeding difficulty: advanced
Champsochromis caeruleus Breeding Guide
Overview
Champsochromis caeruleus, the Malawi Trout, is a large open-water predatory haplochromine endemic to and widespread in Lake Malawi. FishBase gives a maximum length of 32.2 cm TL, and it occurs in open water and over both rock and open sand. It is a pursuit predator that feeds on fish, with a high trophic level of 4.2.
Sexing
The male is the larger and far more colourful sex, developing extended dorsal, anal and caudal fins that the females lack. The most strongly coloured, longest-finned fish in a group are therefore males.
Conditioning
As a pursuit predator, broodstock should be conditioned on a meaty diet such as prawn, mussel, cockle and lancefish. Recommended breeding water is pH around 8.2-8.5 and 25-27 C (77-80 F), with plenty of swimming space for this active species.
Breeding Setup
The species should be spawned in a species tank in a harem of one male with at least three females, in a very large aquarium furnished with flat stones and areas of open substrate as spawning sites. The harem disperses the male's aggressive pursuits.
Spawning Behaviour & Trigger
Champsochromis caeruleus is a maternal mouthbrooder that breeds in standard hap fashion. The male displays in intense colour around his chosen site; the female lays eggs there and retrieves them, with fertilisation occurring as she approaches the egg-shaped spots on the male's anal fin.
Egg & Fry Care
The female carries the eggs for three to four weeks before releasing the free-swimming fry. The fry are large enough to take brine shrimp nauplii from birth; some breeders artificially strip the fry from the mother's mouth at about two weeks to raise a larger number, since a stressed female in a community may otherwise release or swallow the brood early. Because the adults are predatory, released fry should be reared away from larger fish.
Common Challenges
Breeding has been achieved in the hobby but only infrequently, largely because of the very large tank required and male aggression during courtship. As a high-trophic-level open-water pursuit predator that ranges over rock and open sand, this species needs a great deal of unobstructed swimming room, which is the principal practical limit on breeding it. The holding female fasts while brooding, so good conditioning beforehand is important to carry her through the three-to-four-week incubation.