Kigoma Seven-Bar Frontosa Care Guide
The Kigoma Seven-Bar is a regional form of Cyphotilapia frontosa from Tanzania, a large slow-growing Tanganyika centrepiece needing a colony.
Overview
The Kigoma Seven-Bar is a regional form of Cyphotilapia frontosa from Kigoma, Tanzania. It typically shows seven vertical black bars rather than the six of the Burundi form, with deeper blue tones. Like all Frontosa, it is a slow-growing, long-lived centrepiece with a nuchal hump in dominant males.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Cyphotilapia
- Scientific name: Cyphotilapia frontosa "Kigoma"
- Note: regional forms differ in bar count and colour
Habitat
Cyphotilapia frontosa is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and widespread in the northern half of the lake, including the Kigoma region of the Tanzanian shore. It lives at depth, around 30-50 m, ascending to shallower water at dawn to hunt.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 600 L
- Temperature: 24-27 °C (75-81 °F)
- pH: 8.5-9.2
- GH: 12-25 °dGH
- Group size: keep a colony of 5 or more
- Lifespan: 15-25 years
Diet
The species is a predator that hunts shoaling fish such as Cyprichromis at night and consumes snails and mussels. In the aquarium it accepts meaty foods, fed sparingly to adults given the slow metabolism, typically once daily.
Compatibility
Semi-aggressive and best kept as a colony, the Kigoma Frontosa pairs well with mid-water Cyprichromis and Synodontis multipunctatus. Fish under roughly 8 cm risk being eaten. Avoid mbuna and Tropheus, which are too boisterous for this calm species.
Breeding
It is a maternal mouthbrooder; the female incubates eggs and protects early larvae. Captive breeding is intermediate, and the species' slow growth requires patience to raise broods.
Conservation status
The IUCN Red List assesses Cyphotilapia frontosa as Near Threatened (assessed 12 March 2025) under criterion A2d.