Yssichromis sp. "Argens" Care Guide
Yssichromis sp. "Argens" is a slender open-water Lake Victoria haplochromine; Yssichromis cichlids are zooplankton feeders that crashed and rebounded after the Nile perch invasion.
Overview
Yssichromis sp. "Argens" is an undescribed open-water haplochromine of Lake Victoria. Yssichromis (now treated as a synonym group within Haplochromis, named by Greenwood) comprises slender, silvery, zooplankton-feeding cichlids of the pelagic and sub-littoral zones. Males of the "Argens" form are silvery blue with a red anal fin.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Group: Yssichromis (Greenwood, 1980; synonym within Haplochromis)
- Trade name: Yssichromis sp. "Argens"
- Status: undescribed open-water species
Habitat
Yssichromis are open-water, zooplanktivorous cichlids of Lake Victoria. Peer-reviewed studies document that zooplanktivorous haplochromines such as Haplochromis (Yssichromis) pyrrhocephalus nearly disappeared in the 1980s under predation by the introduced Nile perch, then slowly recovered after intensive Nile perch fishing; by 2005 zooplanktivores had become the dominant trophic group, even adapting morphologically (increased gill surface) to hypoxic conditions. The Victoria basin is warm and alkaline.
Tank requirements
- Maximum size: about 10-13 cm (KB record)
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (KB record, warm Victoria water)
- pH: 7.5-8.5 (KB record, alkaline Victoria water)
- Open swimming space in the upper water column
- Keep in a group of about 6 or more
Diet
Yssichromis are zooplanktivores, feeding on small open-water crustaceans and other zooplankton. In aquaria small floating and frozen foods such as cyclops, daphnia and brine shrimp suit their upper-water feeding.
Compatibility
An open-water, upper-level shoaling Victorian, best kept in a group and combined with other peaceful Victorian-region haps and Synodontis, away from aggressive Rift Lake species. Its peaceful nature and upper-tier habit make it a complement to bottom- and mid-water Victorians.
Breeding
As a Victorian haplochromine it is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female carrying eggs and fry in her mouth.
Conservation status
Lake Victoria zooplanktivorous haplochromines as a group suffered severe declines from the introduced Nile perch before a documented partial recovery, underlining the conservation importance of the radiation.