Xenotilapia melanogenys Breeding Guide

Breeding Xenotilapia melanogenys (= Enantiopus melanogenys), a sand-dwelling Tanganyikan lek breeder and maternal mouthbrooder kept in groups.

Overview

FishBase lists Xenotilapia melanogenys (Boulenger, 1898) as the valid name for the species widely known in the trade as Enantiopus melanogenys, and the two names refer to the same fish (synonyms include Ectodus melanogenys and Enantiopus longianalis). It is a sand-dwelling cichlid endemic to and widespread in Lake Tanganyika, reaching about 15 cm TL, foraging in large schools over the sandy bottom on copepods, ostracods and shrimps. FishBase classifies it as a lek breeder and polygamous maternal mouthbrooder. This corrects the biparental designation sometimes applied to it: incubation is maternal only.

Sexing

Males are the colorful, display-active sex and become more conspicuous when establishing spawning territories on the sand; females are plainer. As with other sand-dwelling Xenotilapia, watching breeding behavior is the most practical way to tell the sexes apart.

Conditioning

In nature the species takes copepods, ostracods and shrimps from the sand, so small meaty foods suited to a benthic micro-predator condition the group. FishBase notes a freshwater pH range of 7.5-8.5 and tropical temperatures around 25 °C for the species.

Breeding Setup

Because it is a lek-spawning, schooling sand-dweller, it is kept and bred as a group over an open fine-sand bed with plenty of bottom space. Males establish spawning sites on the sand within the colony; a large tank footprint supports multiple territories.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

FishBase describes colonial lek breeding: males hold neighboring sand territories and court visiting females, which choose among displaying males. After eggs are fertilized the female takes them into her mouth and broods them herself, the maternal mouthbrooding pattern.

Egg & Fry Care

The female carries and protects the eggs and larvae in her mouth until the fry are released over the sand to begin foraging. Brooding females shelter near the substrate; precise brood-duration and fry-rearing figures are not detailed in the consulted scientific sources and are therefore omitted.

Common Challenges

Sand-dwelling Tanganyikans are sensitive to water quality and substrate; pristine, oxygen-rich water and a true soft-sand bed are essential, and a single tank usually cannot support more than one displaying male peacefully without ample space.