5 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Very aggressive toward its own kind; must be kept in a large colony of one variant.
69 species in our list are a good match.
Very aggressive toward its own kind; must be kept in a large colony of one variant.
Spirulina flake and vegetable-based food; never feed meaty foods.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Sexes look alike; venting is the only reliable method: the genital papilla is pointed in males and rounded in females.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Maternal mouthbrooder (colony) · Hard
Maternal mouthbrooder; the female carries a small brood for over 4 weeks before releasing free-swimming fry.
Keep a group of 15 to 20 of one colour variant so aggression spreads out. Adults live alone in the wild, not as a shoal.
300+ L rockwork tank with caves, hard alkaline water (pH 8-9), moderate flow and very clean water; do not mix variants or other species.
Stable water, large weekly water changes, a vegetable-based diet and a large colony; females hold when they feel secure.
5-15 eggs per brood, held for over 4 weeks.
The female releases 5-12 large fry after about 4 weeks. Feed crushed spirulina flake and newly hatched brine shrimp; remove the female to a quiet tank if she is harassed.
A Lake Tanganyika grazer known in over 50 geographic colour morphs, which hybridise freely and should not be mixed. Listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN (2025).
Boulenger described Tropheus moorii in 1898 from material collected by J. E. S. Moore. It is famous for its many isolated colour forms, each living on its own stretch of rocky shore. Since the 1970s these forms have become prized collector fish.
First described by George A. Boulenger in 1898. Named for Named after British zoologist J. E. S. Moore.
17 facts checked with sources
Valid name, Tropheus moorii Boulenger, 1898. Taxonomy is unsettled: Seriously Fish says "It is likely that some of the morphs will eventually be described as distinct species", and several hobby forms are traded as Tropheus sp. A Van Steenberge et al. revision of the Tropheus complex is in progress (conference paper 2014, orfeo.belnet.be/handle/internal/2245), not fetched in detail. The legacy locality variants (Moliro, Kaiser, Bemba, Kasanga red rainbow, Mpulungu) were not checked against a source for which species name they belong to. Not to be confused with Cyrtocara moorii (blue dolphin), a Malawi hap with the same species name.
FishBase: Tropheus moorii summary · Seriously Fish: Tropheus mooriiLegacy has no family field; sourced value recorded.
FishBase: Tropheus moorii summaryFishBase 14.5 cm TL (total length); Seriously Fish gives the same figure as 145 mm SL. Legacy 13 cm is a little small.
FishBase: Tropheus moorii summary · Seriously Fish: Tropheus mooriiLegacy range lies inside Seriously Fish 23-27 °C.
Seriously Fish: Tropheus moorii · FishBase: Tropheus moorii summaryLegacy 8-9 equals FishBase and lies inside Seriously Fish.
Seriously Fish: Tropheus moorii · FishBase: Tropheus moorii summaryLegacy has no hardness; Seriously Fish value recorded (FishBase 9-19).
Seriously Fish: Tropheus moorii · FishBase: Tropheus moorii summarySeriously Fish: 60 x 18 x 18 in (152 x 46 x 46 cm) minimum for a group = 152 x 46 x 46 = 321,600 cm³ = ~322 L. A single fish needs 120 x 30 x 30 cm (110 L). Legacy 300 L is slightly below.
Seriously Fish: Tropheus mooriiLegacy 12; Seriously Fish advises 15-20 and warns groups of 5-6 may "fight to the death".
Seriously Fish: Tropheus mooriiLegacy "10+ years"; FishBase gives a maximum reported age of 10 years.
FishBase: Tropheus moorii summaryLegacy "a" (aggressive). Aggression is mainly toward its own kind; new fish "should never be introduced into an established community". Kept as a single-species colony.
Seriously Fish: Tropheus mooriiNo source names a swimming level.
FishBase: Tropheus moorii summaryNo source gives a care rating; bloat susceptibility and colony aggression suggest it is not a beginner fish, but this is not stated.
Seriously Fish: Tropheus mooriiLegacy has no native range. Countries from Seriously Fish.
Seriously Fish: Tropheus moorii · FishBase: Tropheus moorii summarySeriously Fish says this is for experts only. Legacy agrees.
Seriously Fish: Tropheus mooriiLegacy said 5-12 eggs, about 4 weeks.
Seriously Fish: Tropheus mooriiLegacy text (grazer, many local variants) verified. "Shoaling" is not supported: FishBase says "Adults are solitary"; the colony is an aquarium technique. Diet: Seriously Fish says vegetable matter should be the base and "Never feed beefheart or any other animal meat"; FishBase notes wild fish also eat worms, crustaceans and insects. IUCN NT assessed 28 Feb 2025.
Seriously Fish: Tropheus moorii · FishBase: Tropheus moorii summary