Distribution: The Frontosa Cichlid or Humphead Cichlid was described by Boulenger in 1906, originally as Paratilapia frontosa. They are endemic to Lake Tanganyika,
Status: This species is listed on the IUCN Red List with the status of 'LC', meaning 'Least Concern'.
General Body
Form:
Typical cichlid in appearance, they develop
a large hump in the forehead area. The hump is larger in the males. Fins are
elongated and pointed at the ends.
Coloration:
A beautiful fish, the base color is a
bright white. The body is crossed with five or six broad black bands. The fins
are a translucent blue to aqua and contrast with the rest of the body. There are
variations on the number of bands and fin color depending on the morph and even
the individual
General Information
:
Frontosa Cichlids generally have a white or light blue body with either 6 or 7 black vertical bars along each side. As adults, they develop a large cephalic hump on the front of their head which is typically more pronounced on the male than the female. This hump is actually a large fat deposit that rests atop a dorsal muscle that tends to extend forward. The hump develops and increases in size with age and is usually a sign of sexual fecundity. Their fins also become more elaborate with age, which makes a mature Frontosa a very impressive sight as the combination of their large size, attractive coloration and elaborate fins make them a truly impressive sight to behold.
Frontosa Cichlids live relatively long (25
plus years) sedentary lifestyles in nature as they do not expend much energy
while slowly swimming about or hunting. Frontosa utilize a unique trait that
allows them to see well in darkness, which allows them to prey on smaller fish
species while they sleep near the lake bottom. Frontosa simply swim along slowly
and feast on the smaller fish as they sleep. Frontosa Cichlids are not overly
aggressive within the aquarium environment, but can be a little territorial.
They can be kept with most any species of African Cichlid that is not small
enough to be considered as food. They will appreciate a sandy or partially sandy
substrate along with some rocky formations in order to simulate their natural
surroundings. While some rocks are much appreciated by the Frontosa Cichlid to
give them a sense of security, too many rocky structures can be a problem as
Frontosa are somewhat clumsy swimmers that need plenty of open space to move
about. In nature Frontosa Cichlids live in large groups and prefer to live in
groups in the aquarium as well. While one specimen can be kept singularly, it is
more ideal to keep them in groups of 4 or more individuals. The best group
makeup would be to have 3 females per male and between 4 to 8 specimens for the
average larger aquarium.
Aquarium Conditions for
Frontosa
To replicate the habitat of Lake Tanganyika , the bottom of the aquarium should have
rocks and secure caves for hiding places. They also like to have open swimming
areas in the tank. Unlike many cichlid species, Frontosa will not eat or disturb
plants.
The water must be constantly moving and
well-oxygenated so a power head or air stones are essential. Weekly water
changes of 10 to 20% should be done. Frontosa are very sensitive to fluctuations
in water conditions so only small changes should be done.
The Ph should range from 8.0 to 8.5 and
water hardness should be 12 to 15 dGH. The ideal water temperature should range
from 74 to 79 degrees F.
Variations
The true Cyphotilapia frontosa, the only
one of these species with seven stripes, comes from one specific region along
Lake Tanganyika , which is Kigoma. What used to
be classified as C. frontosa from the regions Mpimbwe , Zaire and Zambia Burundi
Despite the very common appearance of all the different varieties of frontosa, these fish come from varying depths all over Lake Tanganyika from as shallow as 15 feet to as deep as 180 feet. Much like humans, these fish have to go through the same decompression phases when coming up from the extreme depths. Bringing up these fish too quickly enlarges their swim bladder until their intestines are literally forced out of their body.
Despite the very common appearance of all the different varieties of frontosa, these fish come from varying depths all over Lake Tanganyika from as shallow as 15 feet to as deep as 180 feet. Much like humans, these fish have to go through the same decompression phases when coming up from the extreme depths. Bringing up these fish too quickly enlarges their swim bladder until their intestines are literally forced out of their body.
Size -
Weight: These fish get up to
14.0 inches (35 cm).
Care and
feeding:
Since they are
carnivorous the Frontosa Cichlid will generally eat all kinds of live foods. In
the wild they feed on shellfish such as snails and molluscs. In the aquarium it
is a slow feeder and will eat pellets as well as a variety of meaty foods such
as feeder fish, worms and crustaceans; ie. mysis, shrimp, and krill. Frozen
foods such as brine shrimp is also considered as a good protein source.
A minimum 30 gallon tank can house a single specimen, but they do best kept in groups of at least 5 and ideally 8 - 12. A minimum 125 gallon tank will be needed, with larger (200 gallons plus) being better. They need good water movement along with very strong and efficient filtration. The males are quite shy and need rocks and cave formations for retreat. Make sure all rocks are firm on the bottom as these fish are quite quick but clumsy if startled. They also need plenty of open swimming areas. Plants are not essential though they do not harm them, nor do they burrow.
A minimum 30 gallon tank can house a single specimen, but they do best kept in groups of at least 5 and ideally 8 - 12. A minimum 125 gallon tank will be needed, with larger (200 gallons plus) being better. They need good water movement along with very strong and efficient filtration. The males are quite shy and need rocks and cave formations for retreat. Make sure all rocks are firm on the bottom as these fish are quite quick but clumsy if startled. They also need plenty of open swimming areas. Plants are not essential though they do not harm them, nor do they burrow.
Do normal water changes of only 10% to 20%
a week, or more frequent depending on the nitrite/ammonia levels and stocking
numbers. The Lake
Tanganyikan Lake Tanganyika being very deep and the
water tends to stay stable.
Acceptable Water
Conditions: Hardness: 12-15°
dGH
Ph: 8.0 - 8.5, wild caught specimens prefer the higher Ph.
Temp: 74-79° F (24-26° C)
Ph: 8.0 - 8.5, wild caught specimens prefer the higher Ph.
Temp: 74-79° F (24-26° C)
Several things all
Lake
Tanganyikan
- Stable temperatures kept
within acceptable limits. Anything under 72° F and over 86° F for too long is
not tolerated by many of these fish (for ich, a few days at 86° F is acceptable
according to one author)..
- Lots of oxygen to
survive.
- Avoid overfeeding and
overstocking.
- Do
a 10-20% water change weekly.
- Regularly check nitrates
(no more than 25 ppm), Ph (less than 7 is not tolerated), total hardness and
carbonate hardness.
Social
Behaviors: They are fairly
non-aggressive community fish although they can be territorial. They don't
burrow or disturb plants A group of one male with three or more females can be
kept together or they can be kept in a group of 8 - 12 individuals. They can
also be kept in a larger aquarium with other durable fish. If kept in a
community type environment, the tank mates need to be pretty good size in
relation to the Frontosa Cichlid as this fish is a predator and will eat smaller
fishes. Any fish smaller than about 3" may be at risk of being eaten by an
adult.
Sexual
Differences: Although it is hard
to tell, the male is larger, and often has a more pronounced cranial hump than
the female.
Breeding
:
Mouthbrooders generally are not very
particular about spawning sites, but C. frontosa clearly like flat sandy areas
best where they can dig small pits. However, they will spawn on a gravelly
bottom and on flagstone. It is a good idea to locate such spawning sites in the
protective vicinity of rock structures or plants. After much inquisitive
circling of each other the two fish will suddenly face each other, and in a
typical cichlid manner, "lock jaws," that is, they will meet lip to lip and then
close their mouths upon each others lips. As soon as a strong grip is made they
will twist and turn each other for as long as a minute, testing each others
strength. Some observers say that if they are able to maintain the grip for a
substantial period of time, the pair will immediately proceed with their
spawning process, but this has not been ascertained. The locking of jaws may
continue for a week or so until the next step is taken.
Once the fish have accepted each other as suitable mates (and there is usually not too much trouble if both are about the same size), the next step is the selection of the spawning site. If perchance there is a smooth rock lying about the bottom of the aquarium, or even if there is a bit of slate showing through the sand, the pair will begin to clear away as much sand as possible from the selected site and gradually excavate a neat spawning pit or shelf upon which to place their spawn.
The actual spawning is interesting: the female will first deposit a few eggs in the depression, then the male will follow and fertilize them. After a number of deposits of this sort the female will pick up the eggs in her mouth and thus the oral incubation starts. (There have been some instances where the male has picked up the eggs in his mouth, but this is the exception rather than the rule.)
The female need not be taken out of the tank, and neither shall the male. Once the fry have reached the free-swimming stage the female will release the fry to feed on newly-hatched Artemia or brine shrimp. They will also eat large infusoria and protozoans. After a few weeks they are able to take fine dry foods and larger crustaceans like Daphnia and rotifers.
The fry grow rapidly. As soon as the fry are abandoned by their parents, they should be sorted according to size, to give them more tank room and keep the larger fry from being too competitive for food.
Although some C. frontosa raise their fry until they have reached a size at which they can easily fend for themselves, others abandon their spawn under week after they have lost their yolk-sacs and reached the free-swimming stage.
Once the fish have accepted each other as suitable mates (and there is usually not too much trouble if both are about the same size), the next step is the selection of the spawning site. If perchance there is a smooth rock lying about the bottom of the aquarium, or even if there is a bit of slate showing through the sand, the pair will begin to clear away as much sand as possible from the selected site and gradually excavate a neat spawning pit or shelf upon which to place their spawn.
The actual spawning is interesting: the female will first deposit a few eggs in the depression, then the male will follow and fertilize them. After a number of deposits of this sort the female will pick up the eggs in her mouth and thus the oral incubation starts. (There have been some instances where the male has picked up the eggs in his mouth, but this is the exception rather than the rule.)
The female need not be taken out of the tank, and neither shall the male. Once the fry have reached the free-swimming stage the female will release the fry to feed on newly-hatched Artemia or brine shrimp. They will also eat large infusoria and protozoans. After a few weeks they are able to take fine dry foods and larger crustaceans like Daphnia and rotifers.
The fry grow rapidly. As soon as the fry are abandoned by their parents, they should be sorted according to size, to give them more tank room and keep the larger fry from being too competitive for food.
Although some C. frontosa raise their fry until they have reached a size at which they can easily fend for themselves, others abandon their spawn under week after they have lost their yolk-sacs and reached the free-swimming stage.
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