Striped Shell-dweller
Lamprologus laparogramma
A very rare shell-dweller. Its livery is crossed by a distinctive design with three or four horizontal dashed lines ('laparogramma') instead of the usual vertical bars of other Neolamprologus.
Temperatura da água
24 - 27 °C
Valor de pH
8 - 9
Tipo de água
Água doce
Nível do tanque
Parte inferior
Tamanho adulto
4,5 cm
Volume mínimo do tanque
>= 80 L
Grupo mínimo
>= 1
GH
10 - 25 dGH
KH
10 - 20 dKH
TDS
250 - 575 ppm
Condutividade
391 - 898 uS/cm
Descrição da espécie
Geographical Origin and Habitat: 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).
Cuidado, criação e companheiros de tanque
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 Cohabitation: 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 Breeding: 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.
Origem e distribuição geográfica
Lake Tanganyika (Endemic). Exclusively inhabits the vast muddy/sandy bottoms dotted with beds of Neothauma tanganyicense shells. Areas where rocks are absent.
Origem
África e Madagascar
Perfil de peixe
- Temperamento
- Semi-aggressive
- Despite their tiny size, they are incredibly bold and highly territorial regarding their chosen shells. They will flare at and attempt to bite fish many times their size that encroach on their space. Aside from territorial defense, they are peaceful and very entertaining to observe.
- Dieta
- Carnivore
- In the wild, they are micro-predators that sift through sand for tiny crustaceans and zooplankton. In the aquarium, they readily accept crushed high-quality flakes, micro-pellets, and frozen cyclops. Live baby brine shrimp are an excellent conditioning food that greatly enhances their vitality and coloration.
- Expectativa de vida
- 5-8 years
- Tamanho adulto
- 4.5 cm
- Proporção sexual
- Harem
- They form loose harems in the wild and should be kept in a similar structure in captivity. One male should be provided with two or three females and an abundance of empty snail shells. If multiple males are present, the aquarium must be large enough to establish distinct, separate territories.
- Frequência de alimentação
- Twice daily
- Due to their active nature and small stomach capacity, they should be fed multiple small portions daily. Two or three very small meals a day are much better than one large one. Ensure the food sinks quickly so they can catch it near their shells.
- Carga biológica
- Low
- This diminutive shell-dwelling cichlid produces a remarkably low bioload. A small colony can easily be maintained in a moderately sized aquarium without overwhelming the nitrogen cycle. Standard filtration and routine partial water changes are entirely adequate to keep water parameters stable.
- Fluxo
- Stagnant
- They prefer a gentle to moderate water flow that mimics the deeper, calmer areas of Lake Tanganyika. While they appreciate well-oxygenated water, turbulent currents will make it difficult for them to hover near their shells. Ensure the filtration return does not constantly blast their sandy territory.
- Risco de salto
- No
- Reprodução
- Oviparous
- They are obligate shell spawners; the female lays her eggs deep within an empty Neothauma snail shell. The female remains in the shell to tend the eggs while the male fiercely guards the perimeter. The fry will eventually emerge but remain close to the shell until they are large enough to be independent.
- Compatibilidade e companheiros de tanque
- With caution
- They are feisty but generally do well in a Tanganyikan community setup. They can be housed safely with small rock-dwellers like Julidochromis and open-water species like Cyprichromis. Avoid large, predatory cichlids that will easily swallow these tiny fish whole.
- Nível do tanque
- Bottom
- They are exclusively bottom-dwellers and rarely rise more than a few inches above the substrate. Their entire lives revolve around the sandy bottom and the snail shells they inhabit. Providing a deep bed of fine sand is absolutely critical for their natural behavior.
Modelos e parâmetros científicos
FishBase
Acesso aos dados científicos oficiais da espécie
FishBase v25.04Dados sincronizados em: 15/06/2026
- Nível trófico
- 3,5 ± 0,5 se
- Resiliência
- Alta (menos de 15 meses)
- Unicidade filogenética (PD50)
- 0.5
- Relação bayesiana comprimento-peso
- a = 0.00389, b = 3.12
- VulnerabilidadeVulnerabilidade baixa (10 / 100)
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