Labeotropheus trewavasae Breeding Guide

Breeding Trewavas' Cichlid (Labeotropheus trewavasae): harem ratio, sexing, egg-spot spawning, ~21-day mouthbrooding and colour-form caution.

Overview

Labeotropheus trewavasae, Trewavas' Cichlid, is a slimmer relative of L. fuelleborni sharing the same overhanging snout and chisel-shaped teeth for scraping algae off rocks in shallow turbulent water. It is a maternal mouthbrooder found across Lake Malawi with over 40 recorded colour forms.

Sexing

Males display clearly defined egg spots on the anal fin and intense breeding colour; in females these egg spots are much fainter or absent altogether. Female morphs include orange and orange-blotch (OB) patterns, while blotched forms are also called marmalade cats.

Conditioning

Condition breeding stock on plenty of vegetable matter together with live and frozen foods. The vegetable-rich diet suits this algae-grazing species and brings fish into spawning condition.

Breeding Setup

Spawn in a species tank with a harem of one male and at least three females. Several females per male are important because this species is very aggressive towards its own kind, so spreading the male's attention reduces harassment of individual females.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The male cleans and displays at a chosen site to attract females. A female lays eggs and collects them into her mouth; as she attempts to pick up the egg-spots on the male's anal fin, he releases sperm and the eggs are fertilised orally.

Egg & Fry Care

Females carry 10-40 eggs for up to three or four weeks; the brood is incubated for roughly 21 days, during which the female may eat little or nothing before releasing free-swimming fry. Different colour forms should not be mixed in aquaria because they may hybridise, so raise a single known form together.