眼斑亮丽鲷 · Ocellated Shell-dweller

Overview

Lamprologus ocellatus is a small shell-dwelling cichlid that reshapes its sandy surroundings. It commonly buries its home until only the entrance remains visible and may cover neighboring shells to prevent occupation. Its size should not obscure its vigorous territorial defense.

Distribution & habitat

Endemic to Lake Tanganyika, it occupies shoreline areas combining scattered rocks, open sand and numerous empty snail shells.

Aquarium setup

A tank around 45 × 30 × 30 cm is a reference for a pair or one male with two or three females; a colony needs more room. Provide open sand at least approximately 5 cm deep and more shells than fish. Space the shells apart and maintain hard alkaline water. A few decorative shells cannot substitute for usable territorial space.

Diet & feeding

Live and frozen foods should predominate, though dry preparations are usually accepted. Offer suitably sized, varied meals and check that individuals remaining close to their shells also feed.

Behaviour & compatibility

The shell and its surrounding patch are defended vigorously, sometimes even against a hand during maintenance. Appropriate Tanganyikan rock dwellers or open-water fishes may coexist if they use different areas. Colonies need ample shells and more females than males to limit fighting.

Sexual dimorphism

Males are substantially larger, with gold edging to the dorsal and anal fins; female fin margins are whitish.

Breeding

Shell spawning is generally straightforward. Around pH 8.0–8.5 and 25–26.5 °C are useful references, with several females per male and widely spaced shells. A female displays at her entrance, enters to lay and then backs out. The male releases sperm that is carried inward by the resulting water movement, or enters himself if the shell is sufficiently large.

After fertilization he takes no further part in care and is excluded from the female's territory. She fans the eggs while covering the entrance. Hatching takes about three days, and free swimming occurs around day ten. Fry progressively explore farther away before eventually being expelled. Brine-shrimp nauplii or microworms are suitable first foods. Separate rearing can improve survival because other colony members may prey on the young.

Notes

Unlike the similar Lamprologus brevis, this species lacks vertical flank bars. A gold form is also traded. One hypothesis proposes that sand around the buried shell directs microorganisms toward its entrance and benefits fry; this remains a proposed function, not a substitute for feeding them.