Edit Maylandia fainzilberi
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Name
Scientific name
Maylandia fainzilberi
Described by
Authority Staeck, Year 1976, Bracketed
Family
Cichlidae
Common names
Goldbreast Zebra
Photograph credits
All 1 credited
Summary
The goldbreast zebra, Maylandia fainzilberi, is a large mbuna endemic to Lake Malawi, found on the north-western coast from Chirwa Island t…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
175mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Minimum length 120 cm, Minimum depth 45 cm, Minimum height 38 cm
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 24–28°C, pH 7.6–8.8
Hardness
10–25dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Territorial
Social needs
One male with several females
Community suitability
Not recorded
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Lake Malawi
Writing
Etymology
Not written yet
Distribution
Endemic to Lake Malawi. It occurs along a stretch of the north-western coast from Chirwa Island to Usisya, and also on the Tanzanian and Mozambican shores.
Habitat
It inhabits rocky areas of the shoreline and around islands.
Aquarium size
120 ∗ 45 ∗ 38 cm - ~205 litres absolute minimum due to its adult size and highly aggressive nature (see below).
Maintenance
Much of the aquarium should contain piles of rocks arranged to form caves with small areas of open water between. A sandy substrate is best. The growth of alga…
Water conditions
Temperature: 24 – 28 °C pH: 7.6-8.8 Hardness: 10-25°H
Diet
It will accept most foods offered but vegetable matter in the form of spirulina flakes, blanched spinach, nori etc. should form a large proportion of the diet.…
Behaviour and compatibility
One of the most aggressive and territorial mbuna. It should not be kept with peace loving species such as Peacocks or Utaka but it can be combined with other l…
Sexual dimorphism
The male is usually larger and more colourful than the female. Both sexes have egg spots in the anal fin, but these are larger and more intense in the male.
Reproduction
Possible but not easy. Maternal mouthbrooder. Ideally, it should be spawned in a species tank in a harem of one male and 4-6 females. However, it will often sp…
Notes
The Catalog of Fishes and FishBase both place this species in Maylandia, although it has also been grouped in Metriaclima and Pseudotropheus. One interesting f…
References
References
No references