Every species

Endemic to northern and central Borneo, with records from the Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah, Brunei Darussalam, and the Indonesian provinces North Kalimantan (Kalimantan Utara) and East Kalimantan (Kalimantan Timur). Type locality is 'Kajan River, eastern slope of central Kalimantan, Indonesia [Borneo]'.

Type locality is the Río Calima in Valle del Cauca department, western Colombia. The Calima is a major tributary within the Río San Juan system and N. lacortei is considered endemic to this drainage.

This species can be found in most dealers' tanks and is one of the best choices for the newcomer to fishkeeping, being attractive, hardy and inexpensive. As virtually all the fish sold in the trade have been captive bred they tend to be relatively unfussy regarding water chemistry and diet. It's occasionally confused with N. lacortei, which is currently the only other species in the genus. They can easily be told apart by looking at the eye of the fish in question, as the male N. l...

Lungfish are among the most intriguing of "oddball" aquarium subjects, being able to survive in the most extreme conditions. They are very ancient fish, having remained virtually unchanged for millions of years. Unlike its African relatives, N. forsteri cannot survive in completely dry conditions for long, although it does require access to atmospheric air to survive. It possesses only a single lung (the African species have paired lungs), which is formed via a modification of the swim...

Endemic to the Río Atrato drainage in Choco and Antioquia departments, northwestern Colombia, where the full extent of its range is somewhat unclear. Type locality is 'Río Truandó, a tributary of Lower Río Atrato, Colombia', and it may be restricted to that system.

We're unsure if this species has ever been traded on a commercial basis though we know of several private collectors who've maintained it. It's difficult to confuse with any other balitorid due to the small adult size and distinctive orange to reddish-brown body colouration, and was originally described as a subgenus by Herre (1944) before Silas (1953) raised it to full genus status. It was later syonymised with Homaloptera by Alfred (1969) but has been generally accepted as a distinct, valid genus since Roberts (1989).

N. boulengeri can be distinguished from the similar N. hecqui and Lamprologus kungweensis primarily by the orange border on the dorsal and anal fins, although its adult patterning is somewhat different to the other species. Unlike many other shell dwellers, it will spawn in small caves if no shells are made available....

N. brevis is one of the commoner species of shell dweller available in the hobby. Several colour morphs are available including "sunspot", "katabe" and "sambia". As mentioned above, it is often found in areas within Lake Tanganyika where relatively few snail shells collect and in these areas, pairs of fish will share the same shell. This behaviour may or may not be observed in the aquarium, depending on the number of shells provided and the individual fish. The terr...

Not recommended for the beginner N. buescheri is one of the most aggressive small cichlids in the hobby. Several geographical morphs are available, including "gombi", "kachese", "kamakonde", and "zaire".

N. fasciatus is a predator by nature and its body shape has been adapted to allow it to enter small crevices and gaps in the rockwork of Lake Tanganyika to prey on invertebrates, eggs, fry and small fish. The lateral compression exhibited by this fish also makes the fish hard to spot head on, giving it an advantage over both its predators and prey. It hunts in a head down position a few feet above the substrate, moving its body in sinuous motions to counteract the water currents. It is sometimes...

This stunning species was only described in 1997 and is included in the so-called "Brichardi complex", which also includes N. brichardi, crassus, falcicula, gracilis, pulcher, savoryi and splendens. The species should not be mixed in aquaria as they will hybridise freely. N. helianthus can be distinguished from others in the complex by its overall yellow-orange patterning and v-shaped cheek marking....

One of the most popular Tanganyikan species in the hobby, N. leleupi is a stunning fish when in good condition. However, it is not as easy to maintain as its popularity suggests, due to its disagreeable attitude towards conspecifics and its sensitivity to deteriorating water conditions. It is a solitary species in nature, with male fish entering females' caves as they find them and spawning with receptive females. This explains the weak pair bond formed by spawning fish in aquaria and also ...

A less often seen but good looking species with a deeply forked tail. It was previously sold as Neolamprologus sp. "walteri".

This is probably the smallest known cichlid species and exhibits truly fascinating behaviour. The territories it establishes are very small, usually measuring no more than 6" across, but they are defended vigorously. The tiny fish will even bite hands or fingers that invade their 'personal space'! Highly recommended to anyone wishing to observe some unique behaviour on a small scale....

This species is included in the so-called "Brichardi complex", which also includes N. brichardi, crassus, falcicula, gracilis, pulcher, savoryi and splendens. These should not be mixed in aquaria, as they will hybridise freely. N. olivaceouscan be distinguished from others in the complex by the two curved markings on the gill cover. It is possible that it is synonymous with N. pulcher, as proposed by Konings (1993)....

Deservedly one of the most popular Tanganyikan species available in the hobby, N. brichardi is ideal for newcomers to both Rift Lake cichlids and cichlids in general, being beautiful and easy to keep and breed. It is seen for sale under several common names including "Fairy Cichlid", "Lyretail Cichlid" and "Princess of Burundi". There are several colour morphs available, although these do not vary much in patterning, and an albino form is also occasionally available...

This species is included in the so-called "Brichardi complex", which also includes N. brichardi, crassus, falcicula, gracilis, helianthus, olivaceous, pulcher, and splendens. These should not be mixed in aquaria as they will hybridise freely. N. savoryi can be distinguished from others in the complex by it's distinctive patterning of vertical bars....

Several geographical morphs of this species are available, including "Sambia" and "Kipili". These vary in base colour from blue to yellow to white. It is not recommended for the general Tanganyikan community due to its aggressive and predatory nature....

N. similis is one of the less frequently seen shelldwellers in the hobby but has no less personality than its cousins. The territories it establishes are very small, usually measuring no more than 6" across, but they are defended vigorously. The tiny fish will even bite hands or fingers that invade their 'personal space'! It can be distinguished from the similar N. multifasciatus by the presence of additional barring on the head and neck and also in this species the stripes appear...

It can be distinguished from the similar N. sexfasciatus by the presence of only five, rather than six, vertical bars on it's flanks. It is not recommended for the general Tanganyikan community due to it's aggressive nature, particularly when breeding....