Labeotropheus fuelleborni Breeding Guide

Breeding Fuelleborn's Cichlid (Labeotropheus fuelleborni): harem ratio, sexing OB females, conditioning, egg-spot spawning and 25-60 egg maternal mouthbrooding.

Overview

Labeotropheus fuelleborni, Fuelleborn's Cichlid, is a rock-dwelling mbuna from Lake Malawi with a distinctive overhanging snout and chisel-shaped teeth for grazing algae off rocks in shallow turbulent water. It can reach up to 30 cm and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. The species is a maternal mouthbrooder and exists in many colour morphs, including blue forms and blotched (OB) forms; the mottled forms are sometimes called marmalade cats.

Sexing

Males are larger and far more colourful than females. Males carry egg-shaped spots on the anal fin used during spawning. The species shows several colour patterns, including orange and orange-blotch (OB) female forms; OB males, the so-called marmalade cats, are comparatively rare.

Conditioning

Condition breeding stock on plenty of vegetable matter alongside live and frozen foods, reflecting the species' algae-grazing diet. A vegetable-rich regime keeps the algae-feeding digestive system in good order while bringing fish into breeding condition.

Breeding Setup

Spawn in a species tank with a harem of one male and at least three females, which spreads the male's attention and reduces harassment of any single female. Provide rockwork that gives the male a defendable spawning site.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The male cleans and displays around a chosen spawning site with intensified colour to attract females. A female lays eggs and immediately retrieves them into her mouth; when she tries to collect the egg-spots on the male's anal fin he releases sperm, fertilising the eggs orally.

Egg & Fry Care

Females carry 25-60 eggs for up to three or four weeks before releasing free-swimming fry. Different colour forms should not be mixed in the aquarium because they may hybridise, so keep a single, known form together when raising fry.