Boulengerochromis Microlepis

[Marius]

I know there's not a lot of information on them, so here's my chance to gather as much as possible. I hope to get to work with this specie in the wild one day, but until then I can enjoy my wild pair and hunting for any bits and pieces of information out there.

(James, look what you did to me )


Boulengerochromis Microlepis

Boulengerochromis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Cichlidae
Subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae
Tribe: Boulengerochromini
Genus: Boulengerochromis
Pellegrin, 1904 Species Boulengerochromis microlepis (Boulenger, 1899)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulengerochromis


It is the largest described cichlid in the world, with lengths reaching to 3', some, including myself, speculate, that due to the nature of the lake, the specie's spread throughout the lake, and the fact that larger adults, unless spawning, are mostly found in the deep, open waters.

The specie is dimorphic, at least in all the accounts of the fish, I have never seen two completely identical adults (especially when spawning ensues).

Boulgerochromis microlepis was first described by George Albert Boulenger in 1899, as Tilapia Microlepis, and then and Mr. Boulenger passed away, the specie was renamed in his honor: Boulengerochromis Microlepis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulengerochromis

I will gather as much and as heterogenous information as possible, and by the end of this all I hope I will have compiled enough precious information to make you like the beautiful genus that has been of such high interest to me lately: Boulengerochromis Microlepis

http://www.tago.dk/Tanganyika/Boulengerochromis.html

http://www.destin-tanganyika.com/Galerie/page-boulengerochromis-microlepis.htm



Now, these following shots are a little more important to me, as they are part of the newest book on Tanganyika, one not easily accessible in NA, and the photos are just fantastic. My book is on the way already, a few more days, and it should be here

http://www.destin-tanganyika.com/Bibliotheque/tanganyika-africa-s-inland-sea.htm

...same book, these guys look identical to my pair

http://www.acuaterra.net/index.php?ind=news&op=news_show_single&ide=11"

and the cherry on the top (same link as above)

Have a good night.

 

[tydus]

Nice info and pics. Those are definitely some beautiful fish there. I would love a pair like the above. So spectacular. Are you planning to spawn the pair you have?

 

[Angler]

An awsome fish indeed. Those last three pictures are spectacular

 

[Marius]

Nice info and pics. Those are definitely some beautiful fish there. I would love a pair like the above. So spectacular. Are you planning to spawn the pair you have?

Yup, keeping mine for the long run, and I'll most likely get a couple more groups from different sources to see if there's any clear color distinctions between them ...I'll play a little.

Also, there's a photographer girlfriend of wifey's that's going to snap some good pictures of them. Stay tuned

 

[tydus]

Yup, keeping mine for the long run, and I'll most likely get a couple more groups from different sources to see if there's any clear color distinctions between them ...I'll play a little.

Also, there's a photographer girlfriend of wifey's that's going to snap some good pictures of them. Stay tuned

That's good to hear. I can't wait.

 

[MalawiTango]

Those are awesome pics man and the fish are beauties. I want that book so bad but $250+ is out of my book budget.

 

[dogofwar]

At the last ACA Conference, Ad Konings described how pairs of Boulangerochromis usually die after their first spawn (usually at 3 years old).

It's the regular cycle for pairs to spend all of their energy defending their fry, not eating, and ending up starving to death (like salmon).

Not sure if this is documented elsewhere or if it occurs in the aquarium if you don't remove the fry...

Matt

 

[Marius]

At the last ACA Conference, Ad Konings described how pairs of Boulangerochromis usually die after their first spawn (usually at 3 years old).

It's the regular cycle for pairs to spend all of their energy defending their fry, not eating, and ending up starving to death (like salmon).

Not sure if this is documented elsewhere or if it occurs in the aquarium if you don't remove the fry...

Matt

That does not happen in aquarium. I know of a case of multiple breeding, and to be honest, pond or aquarium breeding does not compare to what happens in the wild where they come to the shallows to spawn, and they spend their energy defending the brood from hoards of predators (main reason why after they rear up their fry, the pair usually dies).
http://www.cichlidae.com/article.php?id=89 aquarium bred article

Who haven't seen the Tanganyika videos yet, with the few pairs portrayed there that had to fight off hoards of fish, a terrapin and what not from destroying their broods.

Here are those videos again

Boulengerochromis sightings
0.50
4.50
[yt]wonYRF4e4sI[/yt]

2.40 (the famous Terrapin)
[yt]6X_KD8ZSBy0[/yt]

[yt]wqDVzH5W_4Y[/yt]

[yt]aUykCGDyMFs[/yt]

 

[krichardson]

Beautiful photos,I had been wondering where you were getting the pictures for your avatar from.

 

[Marius]

Beautiful photos,I had been wondering where you were getting the pictures for your avatar from.

Sucks I am not a self-centered sob , I would have had the coolest avatar on the block ...oh well, now I guess I have to get some pictures of my emperors.