Placidochromis electra

Deepwater Hap

Classification

Cichlidae

Distribution

Endemic to Lake Malawi. It occurs around Likoma Island and Mara Point, between Chiwindi and Lumbaulo, from Lumnessi to the Malawian border and down the coast of Malawi to Nekete.

Habitat

It inhabits areas of deeper water (usually below 7 metres) above sandy bottoms.

Maximum Standard Length

Males to 8″ (20cm), females to 6″ (15cm).

Aquarium SizeTop ↑

48″ x 18″ x 15″ (120cm x 45cm x 37.5cm) – 200 litres.

Maintenance

Decorate the tank with piles of rocks arranged to form caves and hiding places but leave open areas of substrate between these. A sandy substrate is essential. Plants are not necessary but will be left alone.

Water Conditions

Temperature: 75-82°F (24-28°C)

pH: 7.6-8.8

Hardness: 10-25°H

Diet

It will accept most foods offered. We suggest a varied diet composing live, frozen and dried foods with the addition of some vegetable matter in the form of spirulina flake or blanched spinach.

Behaviour and CompatibilityTop ↑

A very gentle species which is not suited to the hurly burly of a mbuna community. Better tankmates include Aulonocara, Copadichromis and other peaceful Malawi species. It is also peaceful with members of its own species although it does become mildly territorial when breeding. It is better to keep several females per male.

Sexual Dimorphism

Males grow larger and are much more colourful than females.

Reproduction

Possible. Maternal mouthbrooder. For the best results it should be spawned in a species tank. Adult fish tend to be quite expensive, so a more feasible option is to start with a group of 6-8 young fish. A 48×15″ aquarium is an adequate size and this should be furnished as suggested above. Be sure to provide some areas of open sand to act as potential spawning sites. The pH should be around 8.0-8.5 and the temperature 77-80°F. Condition the fish on a good diet of live, frozen and dried foods.

When in spawning condition, the male(s) will select an area of the tank as their territory and will defend this against other males. They are far less aggressive in this than many Malawian species, however. In the centre of his territory the male excavates a pit in which spawning will occur. He will display around this spawning site, showing intense colour and attempt to entice females to mate with him. When a female is willing, she will approach the spawning site and lay her eggs there, after which she immediately picks them up in her mouth. The male fish has egg-shaped spots on his anal and the female is attracted to these. When she tries to add them to the brood in her mouth she actually recieves sperm from the male, thus fertilising the eggs.

The female carries the brood of up to 50 eggs for around 3 weeks before releasing the free swimming fry. She will not eat during this period and can be easily spotted by her distended mouth. If a female is overly stressed, she may spit out the brood prematurely or eat them, so care must be taken if you decide to move the fish in order to avoid fry predation. Some breeders artificially strip the fry from the mother’s mouth at the 2 week stage and raise them from that point as this usually results in a larger number of fry, although it must be said that this method is only for the expert. The fry will accept newly hatched brine shrimp or microworm immediately after they become free swimming.

NotesTop ↑

The common name is derived from the fact that it was previously thought to be found only in much deeper water than we now know it inhabits. In nature, P. electra feeds from the surface of the substrate on invertebrates and other morsels stirred up by the action of digging substrate feeders such as Taeniolethrinops praeorbitalis. It is attracted to the clouds of sediment thrown up by these species.

Several colour forms exist and these should not be kept together in aquaria as they may hybridise.