2 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Highly territorial; best in a large rockwork tank with other mbuna.
58 species in our list are a good match.
Highly territorial; best in a large rockwork tank with other mbuna.
Algae-based pellets and spirulina flakes; offer vegetable matter and avoid rich protein.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males have clearly defined egg spots on the anal fin; in females these are much fainter or absent. Colour differs by locality form, and some females are orange-blotched.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate
A maternal mouthbrooder, best spawned as a harem of one male and at least 3 females; the female carries the brood for up to 3-4 weeks before releasing free-swimming fry.
Keep one male with 3-5 females; a lone female is harassed to exhaustion and two males will fight.
150-250 L rockwork tank with many caves, hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.6) and strong filtration. Keep a bare 60 L tank handy to move a holding female.
Stable warm water (26-28 C), regular water changes and a good male-to-female ratio; the male displays and leads a female to a flat rock or cave.
10-40 eggs per brood, carried for up to 3-4 weeks.
The female releases free-swimming fry after 3-4 weeks. Feed finely crushed flake, spirulina powder and newly hatched brine shrimp from day one; do small daily water changes. Remove the female after release so she can recover.
An algae-scraping mbuna from rocky Lake Malawi shores, with the overhanging fleshy snout shared by all three Labeotropheus species. Described by Fryer in 1956; several colour forms exist.
Fryer described this species in 1956, naming it after Ethelwynn Trewavas, a leading cichlid expert at the British Museum. It has a fleshy overhanging snout for scraping algae. Many colour forms exist around the lake.
First described by Geoffrey Fryer in 1956. Named for Named after British ichthyologist Ethelwynn Trewavas.
15 facts checked with sources
Valid name, described by Fryer in 1956. Trade names include scrapermouth mbuna and Trewavas' cichlid.
FishBase: Labeotropheus trewavasae summaryLegacy had no family.
FishBase: Labeotropheus trewavasae summaryLegacy 18 cm is far too large. FishBase gives 11.7 cm TL; Seriously Fish 11.3 cm SL.
FishBase: Labeotropheus trewavasae summary · Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeFishBase lists 21-24 °C; Seriously Fish (preferred for husbandry) agrees with legacy.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeLegacy range falls inside Seriously Fish 7.6-8.8.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeLegacy had no hardness. FishBase lists dH 5-12.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeSeriously Fish base 90 x 45 cm; 90 x 45 x 38 cm ≈ 154 L. Legacy 250 L is more than the source minimum (its breeding section suggests a 48" tank).
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeOne male with at least 3 females = 4 fish. Legacy 5 is also fine but not a sourced minimum.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeVery aggressive towards its own kind (Seriously Fish).
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeSeriously Fish difficulty 4 of 8; legacy care 2.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeLegacy had no native range.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeLegacy relied on colour only; the reliable sourced sign is egg spots. Orange-blotched female colour not confirmed in a fetched source.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeLegacy said 10-30 eggs.
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasaeFishBase: scrapes algae off rocks and also eats small crustaceans and worms. IUCN: Least Concern (2018).
Seriously Fish: Labeotropheus trewavasae · FishBase: Labeotropheus trewavasae summary