Tag Archives: Dimidiochromis

Dimidiochromis compressiceps Albino

19. January 2018

There is no consensus among aquarists regarding albino sports. One part of the hobbyists find them awkward, the other part simply wonderful. Readers belonging to the first group: please accept our excuse, next week a different fish will be subject of the post again. For all the others: The Malawi-Eyebiter (Dimidiochromis compressiceps) has a bad reputation and a bad popular name. However, the „eyebiting behaviour“ has never been observed in the aquarium. So in fact this fish is a favorite aquarium inhabitant for decades already, most probably due to its unusual shape. But one should not keep these fish with young fish, except the younsters are brought in as feeder fish…

Against all other species of cichlid, which are too large to serve as food, D. compressiceps is comparatively peaceful – as most predators are. The Malawi-Eyebiter is not much territorial (except the breeding season) and so the species is very well suited for a community tank with other Malawi cichlids except the rock-dwelling Mbuna. The latter are too hectic for the calm predator which inhabits, by the way, preferrably the reed-zones with soft bottom along the shores of lake Malawi.

For our customers: the fish have code 520244 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Dimidiochromis strigatus

23. June 2017

The genus Dimidiochromis comprises currently four accepted species. Only one of them, D. compressiceps, is found in the trade on a regular basis and has become an ornamental fish so far. D. strigatus can still be considered a rarity in the trade. We have the species stocked now for the first time, our fish are German bred ones.

All species of Dimidichromis are predators that feed in the wild almost exclusively on small fish. In the aquarium they feed readily on any usual fish food. These cichlids do not live in rocky shores, but among reed and underwater weeds like Vallisneria over soft bottom. These predators do not inhabit territories outside the breeding season and thus they can be considered as very peaceful fish as long as accompanying fish are too large to be eaten. One should never choose the always hectic and aggressive rock cichlids from Lake Malawi (Mbunas) as tankmates, for they would be a continous disturbance for the calm and cautious Dimidiochromis.

Dimidiochromis strigatus attains a maximum length of about 25 cm. As almost all cichlids from Lake Malawi it is female mouthbrooder. The species occurs not exclusively in Lake Malawi, but also in Lake Malombe and the River Shire that connects the two lakes.

For our customers: the fish have code 520252 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer