DEMANSIONS CICHLID FISH

All fins have light blue edges. It is similar in appearance to Pseudotropheus minutus, only that the latter’s lines are less distinct and stop before the tail fin. Under stressful conditions or when they are frightened, their color lightens drastically and they hide among rocks until they feel safe. The name Mbuna comes from the Tonga people of Malawi and means “rockfish” that properly describes the environment where these fish live. In the wild, these fish are living in extremely large groups among the rocks, and members of these groups show very little aggression towards each other, therefore they should be kept in a large group in a sufficiently large aquarium.

Pseudotropheus demasoni is one of the more recent introductions into the hobby, and also a quite popular cichlid, but because of its aggressive nature it is not recommended for the beginners. It will often be seen swimming on its side or upside down as it explores caves and crevices. As with other mbunas Demanson’s Cichlid also have flat teeth which are designed for scraping algae from rocks. Pseudotropheus demasoni is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened species, because it has a very restricted range in Lake Malawi.