Striped Shell-dweller

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Lake Tanganyika (Endemic). Exclusively inhabits the vast muddy/sandy bottoms dotted with beds of Neothauma tanganyicense shells. Areas where rocks are absent.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Signatus-type Shell Dweller (Lamprologus laparogramma). Discovered in more recent times. Physically closely resembles L. signatus: tubular, elongated body, mouth slightly turned upwards to catch plankton from the mouth of the shell.

Social Behavior: Mud Dweller Shell Dweller. Instead of burying the snail shell in the sand (like the multifasciatus), this fish digs a real tubular well in the compact mud, leaving the shell at the bottom of the hole as a secret hiding place.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: The female has a belly that is tinged with a conspicuous intense metallic red/purple during spawning, while the male has thin vertical golden-brown bars or spots. The male (4.5 cm / 1.8 inches) is larger than the female (3.5 cm / 1.4 inches).

Aquarium Setup: Shell-dweller tank (min. 60 cm / 24 inches). A deep bed of very fine, powdery sand is essential (to allow them to "drill" goby-style tunnels). Insert dozens of escargot shells to disperse aggression. No stones.

Diet and Feeding: Planktivore/Micro-carnivore. Stations a few centimeters from the bottom hunting zooplankton and small benthic organisms. Accepts live/frozen brine shrimp, cyclops and nauplii. Requires powder/small dry-carnivorous flakes.

Water Quality: Requires the peculiar Tanganyika chemistry. The water must be highly alkaline (pH 8-9) and calcareous. Any pH swings lead to rapid clouding of the corneas and clamping of the fins.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Species to be kept preferably in a dedicated tank (Species-tank). Can coexist in larger tanks (100+ cm / 40+ inches) with Cyprichromis, which station in the upper levels. Clashes fatally with other shell-dwellers competing for sand (e.g. N. similis).

Aquarium Reproduction: Shell breeders forming stable pairs. The female lays eggs (few) inside the shell; the male patrols the perimeter of the hole dug around the nest. The young are tolerated until they reach maturity.

Risks and Diseases: Lethal intra-specific aggression. If the living space (the distance between one shell and another) is not at least 15-20 cm (6-8 inches) in the tank, the weakest male will inevitably be persecuted to death.