They're NOT sterile!!!!

[tjudy]

My pair of wild Pel. taeniatus 'Nigeria green' surprised me today with a nice batch of free swimming fry. The female did a really good job of keeping the brood hidden, and her coloration during egg/wiggler care is significantly different enough from the other P. taeniatus types that I did not suspect she had bred.

If you are not familiar with the story.... I got these fish a few months ago and lost 90% of the box becauseteh fish were so starved that their internal organs had emaciated to the point where they could not recover. Only one female and five males from a box of 30 fish survived. I suspected that even the survivors may have been so damaged that they woudl never successfully spawn. I am so glad to be wrong! Here is a picture of the father. I will hopefully have images of the brood by the end of the day.

 

[Lisachromis]

Woohooo. Keep us updated!

 

[JG]

Good to hear Ted! Where did you acquire the original stock from?

J

 

[tjudy]

Nigeria... the fish are wild. They were imported by a small transhipper out of California, who I will not use again because the exporter they use starved the fish.

 

[JG]

Sorry to hear about the experience. I once lived in Ghana (West Africa) for a few years, not far from Nigeria, and have been wondering if there are any dwarf cichlids in that country. I wasn't able to locate any via an online search, however, my wife and I plan on visiting Ghana within a year... I do know that Jewel cichlids are quite plentiful there. Who knows, perhaps I could bring some back for you.

J

 

[tjudy]

Ghana is interesting due to its lack of fish fauna. THere is not a lot there. PRobably the most interesting fish is Limbochromis robertsi.

 

[k98]

by far fasciatus and frempongi.the frempongi are endemic to bosumtwi lake(crater)real true cichlid!

 

[tjudy]

This pair hides their fry very well. I did snap some shots of the fry today, but I have not processed them (downloading from the camera as I type). I did get to do a bit of experimentation with the female yesterday. Here is an image of her in her brood care dress without any type of threat:

Here is what she looks like when she is faced with the terrotorial threat of another female Pel. taeniatus:

http://webpages.charter.net/tedjudy/fish images/taen_nigergrn_F_fry1_ter_sept27_002.jpg

Here is what she looks like when she is faced with a predatory threat. I use a small bicher that is not a threat to her, but is a threat to the fry. Interestingly, these P. t. 'Nigeria green' kribs are different than the Camaroon varieties in that the FEMALE attacks the predator the most. In other forms the female stays near the fry and the male attacks the threat.

The lateral stripe with this variety is a much more distinct pattern than in the Camaroon forms. The Camaroon P. taeniatus do show the stripe during brood care, but it is relatively faint, and they lose the stripe when faced with a territorial threat (another female krib). This Nigerian form has a dark lateral stripe that only fades a small amount when faced with the territorial threat.

Take a look at the ventral fins, breast and abdomen. In the no threat brood care pattern the fins are light pink and the breast and belly are white. The darkest colors are used to fend off the territorial threat, with ventral fins that are a dark purple, a rose red abdomen and scales on the breast that are as dark or darker than the ventral fins (where the ventral fins meet the body). The pattern for the predator threat is more subdued, but not as light as the no threat pattern.

The last big difference is the irridiophores in the dorsal and caudal fins, and the ocelli spots. Notice how the no threat pattern dorsal and caudal are yellow, but the ocelli spots are small with a faint clear ring; but when the fish is in a threat pattern the fins (especially the dorsal) become 'shinier' (irridiophores) and the ocelli more distinct.

I love kribs....:biggrin:

 

[Roach]

Great fish you got there Ted. How many Pel types have you spawned now??

Pic update, pic update

 

[tjudy]

Here are some pictures of the happy family...

I have had every species except for P. rubrolabiatus and P. signatus spawn and produce fry. Of the P. taeniatus varieties I have had moliwe, keinke, lobe, nyete, wouri, nigeria yellow (tank strain), nigeria green (now), and makoure produce fry. I have had both the P. subocellatus (moanda and matadi) produce fry. I have had P. humilis 'Fria' produce (lots), but no other P. humilis... yet. I have also had a few different forms of P. pulcher produce fry, including two wild forms.

Every type of Pelivacachromis species and variety I have kept has at least gone thorugh the motion of laying eggs. The most frustrating for me have been the P. rubrolabiatus, P. signatus and P. humilis types. If they are all like the P. humilis 'Fria', once they get going they will be hard to stop.

 

[AdamT]

:biggrin: sounds like you've got a good start on a famine resistant strain...

 

[Cowboy]

How are the Pel. taeniatus fry doing? Do you have any new pics?

 

[tjudy]

The first spawn are now growing out in a ten gallon all their own, and the parents just cam eout of their cave with a new batch that is larger than the first spawn. They seem to be a good pair.

I have not had Nigerian P. taeniatus in a long time, but the previous pairs I have had were good spawners as well. I wonder why the Nigerian forms are not so well established in the hobby anymore.