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.
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).