Neolamprologus brevis "Ikola Sunspot"

  Neolamprologus brevis is one of the smallest lamprologines known to the hobby, rarely growing beyond 2” in length. What these shell-dwellers lack in size, they make up for in their feisty personalities and striking appearance. N. brevis will fearlessly defend their shells against intruders much larger than them, sometimes even nipping the hands of keepers that get too close! This amusing level of bravado combined with the electric blue markings that seem to glow on their tan or silver bodies makes N. brevis a must have for many Tanganyikan cichlid enthusiasts.

  In the wild, N. brevis populations can be found throughout Lake Tanganyika to which they are endemic. Each locality can differ in both color and pattern, but their habitat type choice remains the same. Being a shell-dwelling species that form monogamous pairs instead of harems, N. brevis are found in open sand where empty snail shells are scattered about with each pair controlling a territory approximately 6” in diameter centered around their chosen shell. They hover outside their shell feeding upon any passing plankton that they snatch out of the water column. A unique trait of N. brevis is that they have a far greater number of gill-rakers compared to other shell-dwellers which gives cause to their robust, frog-like heads that house them. It is suspected that having so many gill-rakers aids this species in feeding upon even the smallest of zooplankton within the lake.

  Within the home aquarium, it is best to attempt to replicate the natural habitat of N. brevis to allow them to thrive. They require warm, hard, alkaline water parameters, a sandy substrate, and at least one shell per pair. Their monogamous nature allows N. brevis to be comfortable if kept as a single pair with a 10-gallon aquarium being sufficient enough space. If keeping multiple pairs together as a colony or if keeping them in a Tanganyikan community, 20 gallons or more will be needed. While N. brevis are very protective of their shells, they are otherwise peaceful cichlids and thus can be kept with many other Tanganyikan species so long as enough space is provided and tankmates aren’t large enough to swallow them.

  Feeding N. brevis is both an entertaining and straight forward task. Being true micropredators and planktivores, they will take most small, meaty foods provided. High protein crushed flakes and small pellets, baby brine shrimp, moina/daphnia, small bloodworms, and tubifex are all great options they should take to readily. Since N. brevis usually are not very picky, you can occasionally provide them with a crushed veggie flake as a treat to aid in digestion, but majority of their diet should be high protein.

  Like with most shell-dwelling species, a lot of the enjoyment most find in keeping N. brevis is being able to witness their breeding and fry-rearing habits. Of course, to begin breeding your own, you will need males and females. Since it can be difficult or near impossible to sex young N. brevis, it is best to start with a group of at least 5-6 young juveniles and allow them to pair off naturally. As they mature, you can begin to spot the handful of differences between males and females. Males will get extensions on their ventral fins, have a more pointed dorsal fin, grow larger, and will have more vibrant blue markings. Females remain smaller, rounder, have smaller fins, and will get a yellow hue to their bellies. How vibrant this yellow color is depends on the locality of your N. brevis with some having very subtle yellow color while others are more intense.

  When ready to spawn, a pair will select a shell to breed in and use as a hiding spot when threatened. A unique behavior N. brevis display is that both males and females will hide in the same shell, something not seen in other cichlid species. While this species does not tend to bury their shells like many other shell-dwellers, they instead show off surprising strength and resourcefulness when their selected shell is not in ideal placement. By biting onto and manipulating the shell or simply ramming into it, these bulldog-like cichlids are able to move the shell around or even flip it over if needed despite the shell usually being at least twice their size.

  Once a shell is selected and in prime condition, the female will lay her eggs deep inside the shell with the male then fertilizing them. Both the male and female will guard the eggs and fry until they are free-swimming after which the male typically moves on to another female if one is available. The female will continue to care for the fry until they begin to leave the shell about 1-2 weeks after becoming free-swimming. So long as the fry have other hiding spots to retreat to and the tank is large enough, they typically can be safely left in the same tank as the parents to continue to grow.