Electric blue hap

Electric blue hap
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Actinopterygii
Order:Cichliformes
Family:Cichlidae
Genus:Sciaenochromis
Species: S. ahli
Binomial name
Sciaenochromis ahli
(Trewavas, 1935)
Synonyms
  • Haplochromis ahli Trewavas, 1935
  • Cyrtocara ahli (Trewavas, 1935)

The electric blue hap (Sciaenochromis ahli) is a species of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Malawi. It prefers to live in caves and crevices in rocky substrates. This species can reach a length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in) TL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade.[2]

In the aquarium

The electric blue hap is a popular aquarium fish due to its colouration. It should be kept in tanks of no less than 300 litres. An aggressive fish, only one male is recommended per tank; however if large numbers are kept in a spacious enough environment, it is possible to keep more than one. Cichlids with a similar colouration are often attacked, so tankmates must be selected carefully. Large numbers prevent a single fish from being the target of aggression. The females are a drab grey in comparison and slightly smaller. They prefer rocky exhibits with coral sand.

Breeding

As with many other cichlids, the electric blue hap is a mouth-brooder. The recommended ratio of males to females is 1:4. The female broods for 2–3 weeks. When the fry are released, they are around 1 cm.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Kazembe, J., Makocho, P. & Mailosi, A. 2006. Sciaenochromis ahli. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org Archived June 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.>. Downloaded on 01 June 2013.
  2. ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Sciaenochromis ahli" in FishBase. April 2013 version.
  3. ↑ http://www.alltropicalfish.com/content/view/75/117/


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