The city of Niété is located in the southern part of Cameroon and is part of the Océan department in the South Province. It is traversed by the Nyété River, which is a tributary of the Lobé River. The beautiful Pelvicachromis kribensis occurs there in a special color variant known in the hobby as “Nyété.” It looks very similar to the “Lobé” variant. The males of both species can be distinguished by the fact that the ‘Lobé’ males have no spots on their tail fin, in contrast to the “Nyété,” which are magnificently decorated in this respect; “Nyété” usually have 3-5 golden-rimmed eye spots in the upper part of the tail fin. This characteristic is inherited, making it a reliable distinguishing feature between “Nyété” and “Lobé.”
Until a few years ago, all „emerald cichlids“ were grouped into a single species, Pelvicachromis taeniatus. Currently, three species are distinguished within this narrower family complex, namely P. taeniatus (Nigeria), P. kribensis (Cameroon), and P. drachenfelsi (Cameroon, formerly P. taeniatus “Wouri”).
This species should be kept under subdued lighting, otherwise the fish often become shy and pale. Soft, slightly acidic water best suits their needs. They will eat any standard ornamental fish food. The water temperature should mainly be in the range of 22-26°C; temperatures that are too high are less favorable for P. kribensis than the lower temperature range. It is important that at least part of the substrate consists of fine sand, which the fish like to chew on. Good water hygiene is crucial for the successful care of these fish, which is most easily achieved by regular and generous partial water changes. If this is neglected, P. kribensis quickly develop bacterial infections, which are usually incurable.
All Pelvicachromis have a mother-father family, in which the more colorful female is responsible for caring for the eggs laid in a cave and the newly hatched young. During this time, the male only defends the wider area around the spawning cave. When the young leave the cave, the mother and father join forces and raise the brood together.
For our customers: the animals have code 562512 on our stock list. Please note that we only supply wholesale customers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
