Brichard’s Lamprologus or Neloamprologus brichardi is a cichlid endemic to the rocky shores of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa where it is widespread in the northern part of the country. This cichlid is can reach 5 inches in length when mature and is a one of the very popular African cichlids because of its interesting behavior. N. brichardi has been observed in schools numbering in the thousands and this species utilizes a group effort of rearing their young, it’s called collective nursery. They can care for their own fry and the fry in their area as well.

 

Although many cichlids in Africa are mouthbrooders, N. brichardi is a substratum spawning cichlid, which means it lays its eggs on a hard surface. This cichlid is known under multiple common names such as the Fairy cichlid and the Princess cichlid. In the aquarium this species will accept a wide assortment of prepared cichlid foods like pellets, flakes and freeze dried foods. In the wild they are carnivorous feeding on small crustaceans and invertebrates on from rocks in their habitat. The Princess cichlid is listed on the IUCN as endangered species but marked as least concern with the threat being related to sedimentation.

 

 

 

Fairy cichlids are beautifully colored and gorgeous fin extensions or trailers. Overall their coloration is beige with a white boarder on their dorsal, ventral, and anal fins. They have a black marking just beyond their eyes on the gill plate which also has a colorful yellow spot. There is also blue coloration below their eyes in a mosaic pattern. Males seem to have much longer fin extensions than females.

 

Unlike mouthbrooding African cichlids which are kept with one male to four to five females, Brichard’s Lamprologus mate in pairs. And like most substratum spawners both parents protect and rear their fry after they are free swimming. This species is known to be very protective and can harm and damage the fins of other fish under these circumstances. Two strategies for keeping these cichlids are as isolated pairs in a midsize aquarium approximately 30 gallons or multiple pairs in but in a larger community tank mixed with conspecifics or similarly tempered fish like Julidochromis marlieri.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Princess cichlid

Princess of Burundi

Lyretail cichlid

Fairy cichlid

Brichard's Lamprologus