Rostratus (Fossorochromis rostratus)

From The Aquarium Wiki
Revision as of 12:23, 4 October 2013 by Catxx (talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search

Rostratus

Fossorochromisrostratus.jpg
Rostratus

Fossorochromis rostratus

473 Litres (125 US G.)

20-25 cm (7.9-9.8")

sg

Freshwater

pH

7.2 - 8.8

24 -26 °C (75.2-78.8°F)

10-18 °d

1:2 M:F

Carnivore
Pellet Foods
Flake Foods
Live Foods

5-8 years

Family

Cichlidae



Additional names

Rostratus

Additional scientific names

Tilapia rostrata, Cyrtocara rostrata, Haplochromis rostratus, Haplochromis macrorhynchus


Origin

Endemic to Lake Malawi.

Sexing

Males and females have entirely different colouration, the male is larger with iridescent silver-blue colouration, whereas the female is pale cream-yellow with black markings in a checkerboard pattern down the flanks.

Tank compatibility

A relatively peaceful African Cichlid, but can get feisty during spawning. Keep with other similar-sized semi-aggressive African Cichlids. Appreciates company of its own kind and several males can be kept together if the tank is large enough.

Diet

Will accept most foods including pellets and flake as well as live/frozen food such as shrimp, bloodworms, artemia and blanched vegetables.

Feeding regime

Feed once or twice a day.

Environment Specifics

Needs a soft sandy substrate and no sharp objects. Appreciate good filtration and a large amount of open swimming space with large hiding places.

Behaviour

This is quiet a shy Cichlid and can be easily startled, will dive into the substrate if spooked.

Identification

Both males and females are elongate with large mouths. The males are iridescent blue with black and green markings. The females are smaller and pale yellow-brown with checkerboard black markings down the lateral line.

Pictures

External links