Stats

Lifespan

8-10 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Carnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Colony

Biome

Freshwater lake

Range

East Africa

Movement

Swimming

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Speed

Status

Rare

About

This small fish lives among the rocky, sediment-rich floors of Lake Tanganyika. It maintains complex social hierarchies where younger siblings help parents raise new broods.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   hatchling fry

   A tiny fry hatches with a yolk sac and begins free-swimming once the sac is absorbed.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A juvenile takes on adult body shape and feeds on small prey, often in nursery waters.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown at adult size and coloration.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Actinopterygii

Order

Cichliformes

Family

Cichlidae

Genus

Neolamprologus

Species

Neolamprologus pulcher