Hemichromis sp. muanda

[spikeymark]

Hi, I have a single hemichromis muanda (sex unknown, although I'm leaning towards male)

I was wondering if this is a seperate species in the hemichromis genus, or a renaming/ earlier name of another hemichromis variety. He/she was simply bought as a "jewel" cichlid, and cost around £20.

I'm asking as I'd really like to find a couple more to see if they will pair off and breed, and am finding this a very unusual species to find. (even searching for "muanda" on your site had no results)

The fish store he was purchased at will be stocking "some jewel varieties at some point" and were really not much more helpful than that. As they specialise in cichlids, esp. west african river species such as pelvicachromis varieties, and are relatively small, stock turnover is very very slow and could easily be next year before another turns up!

BTW, I'm impressed with the general level of knowledge on this forum. Look forward to reading and learning more.

many thanks, spike.

 

[Randall]

Hemichromis sp. "Muanda"

Hello Spike,

Thank you for your inquiry. I have been knocking my brains out trying to get information concerning Hemichromis sp. "Muanda" ever since Matt Clarke ran a notice about it in Practical Fishkeeping.

Matt was so kind as to forward several striking photos of the fish to me, as well as another species that was exported to England at the same time. The later species was erroniously labeled as Hemichromis cerasogaster, when, after looking at Matt's photos, it is indeed the Congo form of H. stellifer. As for H. sp. "Muanda," this is a mystery.

Thinking it may be a member of the H. stellifer species-complex due to its blue scale edging and supposed collection location, I forwarded Matt's photos to Paul Loiselle who commented on the fish's pre-orbital stripe. Does you fish exhibit a dark stripe extending from the mouth area through the eye? Dr. Loiselle didn't seem to think it was H. stellifer because that species exhibits extensive blue scale edges on the flanks, while H. sp. "Muanda" exhibits this coloration to a lesser extent. I would need to see the fish alive to make a better determination.

Should this form ever cross your path again, please let me know. I am very interested in seeing them for myself.

How are you with a camera, please? Some additional photos are much appreciated.

Thank you and good luck with your new acquisition!

All the best,

Randall Kohn

 

[spikeymark]

Thank you very much for your response, I will take some photos, scan them and get a friend to upload them for me as currently the only internet access I have is at work. This may take me a week or two! I was unaware I had such an unusual fish, and to be honest I'm hoping I've mis-identified it as finding a breeding partner may turn out to be very, very hard indeed. In the meantime I will write a detailed description incuding lateral markings, size, etc. just in case this is any help.

The reason I believe I have this fish is the photograph of the species on the Pfk website I came across whilst trying to determine exactly which hemichromis variety I had, it could be a photograph of my exact fish so identical are the markings, including the black stripe through the eye, blue cheek markings and blue scale highlights. This fish's colour is very sensitive to mood by the way, generally a reddish brown with a distinct olive tint and red flanks flushing to a bright intense red when feeding or excited.

I've included a link to said photo, although I know its not of any value in identifying my actual fish.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/images/muanda.jpg

once again, many thanks, and will post images as soon as available.

spike.

 

[coelacanth]

I have a male of the same species. I did have a pair, which spawned merrily in an aquarium with about 30 Tilapia bythobates as company, but as soon as I isolated the pair to actually get some fry through the male slaughtered the female with no warning one day...
You could try contacting Arundel Aviaries (which is near Portsmouth) if they can get some more from J&K (that's the wholesaler who brought this species in).

 

[coelacanth]

I've just noticed that Monty down at Trimar http://www.tropicalfish.org.uk/tropical.htm in Cornwall has them listed on his web site as available at £9 each, and he'll have them couriered to you for £10.
If you buy any, you can have my male FOC (I'll bring him along to the next BCA 'do' in October).

 

[Randall]

Hemichromis sp. "Moanda"

Hello friends,

As of September 2004, Toyin Ojo (http://www.rehobothaquatics.com/index2.html) has brought Hemichromis sp. "Moanda" into the U.S. for the first time. As far as it is known, this form is collected in or around Monada which is a coastal location situated in in lower Congo River drainage.

It appears to be a moderate to small-sized Hemichromis that is less aggressive than its congeners and bears a superficial resemblance to H. stellifer, a form with which it is sympatric.

For photos, please refer to the Practical Fishkeeping web site at

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/show_article.php?article_id=115.

Thank you.

All the best,

Randall Kohn

 

[coelacanth]

Re: Hemichromis sp. "Moanda"

As of September 2004, Toyin Ojo has brought Hemichromis sp. "Moanda" into the U.S. for the first time.

Oliver had them in Canada back in June, along with about 5 other spp.

It appears to be a moderate to small-sized Hemichromis that is less aggressive than its congeners and bears a superficial resemblance to H. stellifer, a form with which it is sympatric

The source from where I got mine showed me some fish last week that were imported under the same name, and do look very similar, but are slightly longer in the snout and are definitely more pugnacious than the earilier shipments. We jokingly suggested that this was a batch of them that had been hanging out with some big bad H. fasciatus and had adopted some of their bad habits....

 

[Ariel]

Moanda

Hi everyone,

Not that I have anything really substantive to add to this discussion, but ... I believe that Tony Orso imported the Hemi. sp. "Moanda" into the U.S. at the beginning of 2004 (March?) and had them available at the NEC weekend workshop.
At the time, there were a number of species collected in the Moanda region for export, including an extraordinary form of Pelvic. subocellatus. I think it was being called "Moanda II" by some.

Ariel B.