Lepidiolamprologus kendalli Breeding Guide

How to breed Lepidiolamprologus kendalli, a predatory Lake Tanganyika cave spawner: pairing, spawning in a closed hole, and biparental fry care.

Overview

Lepidiolamprologus kendalli (syn. Lamprologus nkambae, Lepidiolamprologus nkambae) is a predatory cichlid endemic to the rocky areas of Lake Tanganyika. It is a substrate spawner that deposits eggs inside a dark, enclosed cave or hole and raises the brood as a bonded pair. According to AquaInfo, males grow noticeably larger than females, reaching roughly 20 cm while females stay around 16-17 cm.

Sexing

External sexing is unreliable in this species. AquaInfo notes that the difference between males and females is not visible externally, and the sexes can only be told apart by examining the genital papilla out of the water. The clearest practical signal is the size difference between a mature, larger male and a smaller female once a pair has formed.

Conditioning

As a piscivore that preys on smaller fish, this species is conditioned for spawning with meaty foods. AquaInfo recommends live or frozen items such as mysis and Artemia to bring a pair into breeding condition.

Breeding Setup

Provide hard, alkaline water and a dark, closed spawning cavity. AquaInfo reports breeding parameters of 24-26 °C, pH 8.5-9.0 and GH 7-11, and notes that an earthenware pot with a side entrance sized for the male offers the security that encourages spawning. Because individuals are often aggressive toward one another and pairing is difficult given the lack of visible sexual differences, pairs should be introduced carefully in a spacious tank with ample rockwork.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Once a stable pair forms it becomes inseparable and spawns regularly in the chosen burrow. AquaInfo records clutches of 70-150 olive-colored eggs, rising to as many as 300 eggs from experienced large pairs. The female fertilizes and tends the eggs inside the cavity while the male guards the surrounding territory.

Egg & Fry Care

Per AquaInfo, eggs hatch after 2 to 5 days, and the young become free-swimming roughly 7 to 14 days later. Large spawns are well protected from intruders, and the fry are raised by the parents. First foods are freshly hatched Artemia or an Artemia substitute together with finely crushed dry food; the fry grow quickly, reaching about 10 cm before they become sexually mature.

Common Challenges

The main difficulty is forming a compatible pair, since the fish are aggressive toward conspecifics and cannot be reliably sexed by eye. Because it is a predator of small fish, tankmates must be too large to be eaten, and the closed cave must be secure enough for the female to defend the developing brood.