Benitochromis

[KevinB]

My LFS is having a big sale and I went to see if they still had the fish labeled Chromidotilapia finleyi in stock. I found a very knowledgable employee and told him that I couldn't find this in Lamboj's book. He told me that it is really Benitochromis finleyi. Since this isn't commonly available in the local store he obviously didn't know everything about this particular cichlid. There were seven in the tank. Four were basically white with horizontal black stripes and three were greenish-brown with a beautiful pink-lavender belly. He told me that they are poligamous mouthbrooders and the colored ones are males and the others females. This made sense since the largest one was very colorful and fairly aggressive towards the two other colored ones.

So I bought six (leaving the large aggressive one at the store). I thought that I had 2M:4F. I get home and open Lamboj's book and realize that all is not as it seemed. First, I'm not sure if I really have Benitochromis finleyi and second I now have no idea what the sex ratio is that I have. See:

http://home.columbus.rr.com/baumancichlids/Benitochromis.htm

They show color when they are under the rocks but they all resort to the white with black stripes when they are out in the bright lights. Five of them have two large black dots on their dorsal fins and one of them (the one that shows the most color) has the black all across the dorsal fin. I know that this isn't the ID section but I'm thinking Benitochromis nigrodorsalis and I'm thinking 5M:1F but this is far from certain only 24 hours after the purchase. They are all 3" long or slightly more. The spot on the gills is incredible. Usually black, ocasionally blueish and when the light hits it from a certain angle it glows a reflective orange.

Obviously, I've read what Lamboj has to say about them. If I do have 5M:1F then I've got to run back to the store ASAP to grab that large female, so I'm looking for some help sexing them (without venting?) And I'd also like to know if this species does well with a planted tank?

Kevin

 

[Randall]

Benitochromis nigrodorsalis

Hello Kevin,

Holy cow! What nice looking fish!

You do indeed have Benitochromis nigrodorsalis. Levels of sexual dimorphism and sexual dichromatism in Benitochromis species are generally low, but there are differences. In B. nigrodorsalis, both sexes exhibit a rosy belly, but this is more pronounced in females. Also, females exhibit a iridescent rosy-colored distal (outermost) margin on the dorsal fin. Males exhibit more pronounced dark spots on the soft portions of the unpaired fins and a "net" pattern on the body.

This species is an ovophilic mouthbrooder, and it does well in planted aquaria. Ideally, the water should be soft and slightly alkaline, but water quality is more important than water chemistry, and fairly cool (76 degrees F max!).

Please go get yourself the remaining fish and good luck with them!

All the best,

Randall Kohn