Aquatics Of Cichlid: Profile You Should Read About Labrochromis Ishmaeli

Labrochromis ishmaeli

Common name: Also called Haplochromis ishmaeli. This name is commonly incorrectly used for a fish in the obliquidens complex. The actual fish has a much more rounded head and is much differently colored than the fish commonly called obliquidens, sp. 44, or sp. thick skin.
Location and Lake collected from: Lake Victoria
Approximate size: 4 – 5 inches
Food: Should eat most foods and will eat snails (shell included), digest the snails and the shell will pass through the fish.
pH: 7.4 – 8.4
Temperature: 75 – 82 degrees F
Breeding behavior: Mouthbrooder. I have heard that this species is smart enough to realize that the Synodontis catfish tankmates will steal their eggs when they spawn so as long as the catfish are in the tank they will not spawn. After the catfish have been removed they will start to spawn again.
Tankmates: I have seen them kept with Synodontis catfish.
Tank size: I have seen several adult pairs kept in a 20-gallon tank.
Additional notes: The name Haplochromis ishmaeli is sometimes used to describe an obliquidens type fish. Haplochromis ishmaeli and Labrochromis ishmaeli are the same species and are not the same fish as the Haplochromis obliquidens, Haplochromis sp. 44 “Red Tail”, or Haplochromis sp. Thick Skin. Labrochromis ishmaeli has a different body shape(a more rounded head shape) and the males have a metallic yellow coloration with pale black bars.

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