Tag Archives: tetracanthus

Neolamprologus tetracanthus

13. June 2018

This species of cichlid from Lake Tanganyika lives in two different worlds. The fish attains a maximum length of about 20 cm; however, in the wild hardly ever specimens larger than 10-12 cm can be found. On the one hand this fish is a typical inhabitant of sandy areas. Here it feeds on small invertebrates. Most wanted are small snails, which are sucked out of their shells, but the species is not specialized at all and readily accepts all types of meat that fit the mouth.

On the other hand N. tetracanthus is a cave brooder and needs caves and crevices in rocks for that. Both sexes take very good care of eggs and youngsters and defend them aggressively.

This explains the sometimes very contradictory experiences aquarists make with that species in respect of aggressiveness. As long as the cichlids are not in breeding mood they are quite peaceful. It makes only little sense to defend territories on sand. But when the fish are in the mood for breeding they become pretty tough, because usually all potential breeding grounds in the rocky area are already housed by other fish.

For our customers: the fish have code 549501 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusiveyl supply the wholesale trade.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Scatophagus tetracanthus

13. September 2017

We received this top rarity from the Pacific coast of Eastern Africa. For the first time ever we can offer 27 specimens. Like all scats this species is completely euryhalin, this means it can change freely between the sea and freshwater; this is their typical behaviour in the wild. Much more important than the salt content is the pH for these fishes: pH must never drop below 8 over a longer period.

The extremely beautiful Scatophagus tetracanthus are omnivorous fishes. They prefer small crustaceans, like artemia or cyclops, but they also feed on vegetables. The maximum length reported for S. tetracanthus is 30 cm, but it usually is fully grown with 15-20 cm; at least in the wild hardly ever larger indiviuals are found. One should be careful when catching the fish, as they produce a venom in glands under the first dorsal fin. A sting is very painful, but usually harmless. Only allergy sufferers should be careful and visit a medic if stung.

African scats are quite peaceful fish that often swim in large schools. It is also recommended to keep them in groups in the aquarium, if necessary along with their green and spotted cousins from southeast Asia.

For our customers: the fish have code 169103 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in small numbers only!

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer