Pelvicachromis taeniatus
| Common Names: | Purple Krib |
| Synonyms: | Pelmatochromis calliptera Pelmatochromis klugei Pelmatochromis kribensis Pelmatochromis kribensis klugei Pelmatochromis pulcher klugei Pelmatochromis taeniatus Pelmatochromis taeniatus klugei Pelvicachromis kribensis |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Category: | Cichlids |
| Distribution: | Africa; West Africa, Lower Nigeria, Lower Cameroon |
| Main Ecosystem: | River; River |
| Temperament: | Peaceful; Aggressive and territorial when breeding |
| Diet: | Ominvore; Ominvore |
| Care: | A small and easily cared for cichlid. Will accept most all foods. Needs caves for hiding places, and for spawning. Keep with more peaceful cichlids and other fish. Is only aggressive during spawning. Is comfortable in planted tanks, and will not uproot plants. |
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| Potential Size: | Male: 8cm (3.1") Female: 8cm (3.1") |
| Water Region: | Middle, Bottom; Middle-Bottom |
| Activity: | Diurnal; Diurnal |
| Gender: | Both sexes are very colorful, and hard to distinguish at young ages. Mature fish are distinguished by the males having longer and more pointed dorsal and anal fins, sometimes extending beyond their caudal (tail) fins. The females dorsal and anal fins will be more rounded at the end. Females also become extremely purple and bright pinkish in the belly when they are gravid. As they will also be rounded in the belly than the males. |
| Breeding: | Spawns in pairs, and the female then guards the eggs. These fish are cave spawners, and lay adhesive eggs to the walls of the cave. Eggs hatch in 2-4 days, depending on the temp of the water. The fry are free swimming in about a week. If keeping pairs, do not keep more than one pair together, unless there is ample room for male territories. As the males will fight, and can damage each other. If in a small breeding tank, it is sometimes good to remove the male after the spawning is c |
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| Comments: | These fish are very simular to their cousins the Pelvicachromis pulcher in size, shape, as well as breeding habits and other characteristics. The main difference is their colors. These fish are more purple with different degrees of color that pertain to their found location in the wild. It is best to try to find the location your specimens come from. Also, the males of this species have distinct outlines of their scales that are more prominent than their cousins the pulchers. These outlines |
| Main Colours: | Purple, Yellow, Black |
| Markings: | Striped And Spotted |
| Mouth: | Normal |
| Tail: | Concave |
| Search: | Show similar species Find compatible species |
| Image Credit: | © FishProfiles.com |
| Submitted By: | ACIDRAIN |
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