Deep-Water Xenotilapia (Xenotilapia bathyphila) Care Guide
Xenotilapia bathyphila is a cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika. This guide covers its tank requirements, diet, behaviour and breeding.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Xenotilapia bathyphila is a cichlid (family Cichlidae) endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. FishBase gives a maximum of about 10.3 cm total length. It is a sand-associated feeder that takes copepods and small shrimps and forms schools over sandy bottoms.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Scientific name: Xenotilapia bathyphila
- Described by: Poll, 1956
The genus Xenotilapia is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and was erected by Boulenger in 1899.
Habitat
Endemic to Lake Tanganyika, occurring over sandy substrates.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 350 L (92 gal)
- Adult size: 11-14 cm
- Temperature: 24-27 °C (75-81 °F)
- pH: 8.5-9.2 (hard, alkaline rift-lake water)
- GH: 12-25 °dGH
- Recommended group size: 6+ individuals
- Lifespan: 6-10 years
Diet
It is a sand-associated feeder that takes copepods and small shrimps and forms schools over sandy bottoms.
Compatibility
Xenotilapia bathyphila is a peaceful species that occupies the bottom water layer. In a dedicated Lake Tanganyika community it is typically kept with Cyprichromis, Cyphotilapia. Avoid combining it with Mbuna, Tropheus.
Breeding
It is a mouthbrooder, in keeping with the genus Xenotilapia.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2006).
Xenotilapia bathyphila Breeding Guide
Overview
Xenotilapia bathyphila (syn. Xenotilapia ochrogenys bathyphilus) is a sand-dwelling cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika. Wikipedia notes it occurs in schools over sandy substrates and feeds on small shrimps and copepods, reaching about 10.3 cm TL. A peer-reviewed phylogenetic study of parental care in Xenotilapia (Goodwin et al., PMC3275620) classifies X. bathyphila as a maternal mouthbrooder. This corrects the biparental designation sometimes applied to it: the female alone incubates the brood.
Sexing
Xenotilapia are difficult to sex. As with related sand-dwellers, males tend to be slightly more colorful, and reliable identification usually depends on observing pair or group spawning behavior rather than fixed external markers.
Conditioning
In the wild the species sifts sand for small invertebrates such as shrimps and copepods, so a varied diet of small meaty foods suited to a benthic micro-predator brings the group into condition. Stable, hard, alkaline Tanganyikan water supports spawning.
Breeding Setup
Because the fish lives in schools over open sand, it is kept and bred as a group with a soft sand bed and clear bottom space, with scattered rockwork for cover. A larger footprint matters more than tank height for these substrate-oriented cichlids.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
As a maternal mouthbrooder, the female takes the fertilized eggs into her mouth and incubates them herself, without the egg-transfer to the male seen in biparental Xenotilapia. Spawning takes place over the sandy substrate within the group.
Egg & Fry Care
The female carries and protects the developing eggs and larvae in her mouth until the fry are released to forage over the sand. Detailed brood durations and fry-rearing figures for this specific deep-water species are not well documented in the consulted scientific sources and are therefore omitted.
Common Challenges
Xenotilapia are regarded as demanding, sensitive cichlids that need pristine, well-oxygenated water and a true sand bed; sharp or coarse substrate and unstable parameters undermine breeding success.