Pearl Lined Lamprologus

1 Breed Profile

The Pearl Lined Lamprologus is mainly distributed in Lake Tanganyika, favoring the boundary of rock and sand. A cichlid with strong territoriality and fast growth, it is best kept alone.

Chinese name: Pearl Lined Lamprologus

Binomial: Neolamprologus tetracanthus

Also known as: Pearl Lined Lamprologus

Kingdom: Animalia

Family: Cichlidae

Origin: Lake Tanganyika

2 Appearance

Slender, shell-like body, with 5-6 vertical rows of bright spots on the side. A cichlid that likes to dig sand. Not strictly monogamous but leans to one male with two females; females lay eggs near rocks or shells.

One of the most common sand-sifting lamprologus in shallow water, breeding in rocks or shells, so pairs are often seen at the sand-rock edge. Widely distributed with little geographic variation; northern populations have red dorsal edges (black in fry), southern ones yellow edges and yellow upper jaw.

3 Husbandry

Native to Lake Tanganyika; wild ones like sandy areas or shell beds, so provide substrate. Suggested 26-29 C, pH 7.7-8.2, hardness 12-15 dGH.

Tank over 200 L, better over 4 feet, with sand and flat stones. Females lay near rocks/shells; typically they clear sand under a flat stone nearly buried, so after digging the stone caps the hole and eggs on the stone are hidden. Provide a spawning site for breeding.

4 Feeding

Omnivorous; wild ones eat snails and insect larvae. In captivity use flakes, pellets, live food.

Snails are food; in captivity it eats only small snails, digesting and passing empty shells, but some say it eats larger snails by sucking meat out, not crushing. Fish under 6 cm may be swallowed if mixed.