Pundamilia pundamilia Care Guide
Pundamilia pundamilia is a blue-backed haplochromine cichlid from the Tanzanian part of Lake Victoria, living among boulders and brooding eggs in the mouth.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Pundamilia pundamilia is a haplochromine cichlid described by Seehausen and Bouton in 1998 and endemic to the Tanzanian part of Lake Victoria. It is the sister species of Pundamilia nyererei, with which it occurs at the same rocky sites; males are blue rather than red. The two are a textbook example of colour-based speciation in the Victoria cichlid radiation.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Pundamilia
- Scientific name: Pundamilia pundamilia
- Authors: Seehausen & Bouton, 1998
- Synonym: Haplochromis pundamilia
Habitat
FishBase describes the species as confined to rocky substrates, inhabiting moderately steep to steep shores with medium to large boulders, where it lives in large crevices between rocks, predominantly in shallow water and rock pools on emergent rocky reefs. The Victoria basin is warm and alkaline.
Tank requirements
- Maximum size: about 12.4 cm (4.9 in) SL (FishBase, Wikipedia)
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (KB record, warm Victoria water)
- pH: 7.5-8.5 (KB record, alkaline Victoria water)
- Rocky aquascape with crevices
- Keep one male with several females
Diet
FishBase reports it feeds mainly on benthic insect larvae, especially Ephemeroptera (mayflies), occasionally taking zooplankton, small fish and Bryozoa, giving a trophic level of about 3.7. Aquarium specimens accept varied prepared and frozen foods.
Compatibility
A rock-associated Victorian, best kept one male per group of females. Suitable companions are other robust Victorian haps and Synodontis; avoid keeping it with similarly blue congeners to prevent cross-breeding.
Breeding
FishBase describes it as a polygynous female mouthbrooder with maternal parental care, with the female carrying eggs and fry in her mouth.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2010).
Pundamilia pundamilia Breeding Guide
Overview
Pundamilia pundamilia is a maternal mouthbrooding haplochromine endemic to the Tanzanian portion of Lake Victoria, reaching about 12.4 cm. It is the blue-backed sister species of P. nyererei: at sympatric sites the two persist together with some gene flow, yet maintain strong genetic differentiation. Males display blue-grey on the body with any red confined to the fins, contrasting with the red-dorsum nyererei.
Sexing
Males are vividly coloured while females are cryptically coloured and duller, the sole investors in parental care. The species belongs to a genus of five, all endemic to the southern portion of Lake Victoria, in which males generally carry the bright nuptial colours used in mate choice.
Conditioning
Condition the group on a varied omnivore diet with occasional live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworm or daphnia. Good condition strengthens male colour, which is decisive because females exhibit strong colour-based mating preferences.
Breeding Setup
Breed in a species tank with a single male and at least three females; spawning also occurs in community aquaria. Provide suitable spawning sites such as flat rocks or caves so the male can hold and display over a territory.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Once a female selects a mate she lays eggs at the chosen spot, the male fertilises them, and she collects them into her mouth. As with related Victorian haps, the male's anal-fin egg spots prompt the female's collecting behaviour, during which fertilisation occurs in the mouth. Maternal mouthbrooding follows.
Egg & Fry Care
The female broods the clutch orally for roughly three weeks, as in this group of Victorian mouthbrooders, before releasing free-swimming fry. Released fry accept small first foods such as Artemia nauplii and powdered dry foods. Isolating a holding female protects the brood.
Common Challenges
The greatest risk is hybridisation: because mate choice is colour-based and P. pundamilia and P. nyererei are a sympatric sister pair that can interbreed, keep blue and red Victorian haps in separate tanks. Maintain a single male per group to reduce aggression and preserve clear male colour for assortative mating.