Haplochromis sp. "blue fire fin"

Above: A male Haplochromis sp. "blue fire fin". Photo by Sue Ewald.

Etymology:

Genus- Haploos= simple (Greek), chromis= a fish, perhaps a perch (Greek).

Intro:

Haplochromis sp. "blue fire fin" is an undescribed Victorian Cichlid. This fish is a mouthbrooder that does not attain a large size. A mild attitude and nice coloration makes this a nice species to keep.

Distribution:

Haplochromis sp. "blue fire fin" is found in the rocky parts of Lake Nawampsa and Lake Kyoga.

Size, Maturity, and Sexual Dimorphism:

Size: Males- 3 inches, Females- 2.5 inches
Maturity: .75 inches
Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger and have color compared to the silver females.

Care:

This fish is easy to care for. They are not aggressive at alland since they don't attain a large size, they can be put in a rather small tank.

I had three (1 males, 2 females) in a 20 gallon tank. I obtained the fish from a vendor at a GCCA swap meet. The fish can be quarrelsome at times, but it is never really bad.

In larger tanks, this species can be mixed with mild mbuna and Malawi haps with ease. It can be kept with other Vics, but be cautious as they can hybridize easily.

Diet:

Haplochromis sp. "blue fire fin" is omnivorous, so feed a mix of foods. I fed mine a varied diet of flakes and pellets with success.

Breeding:

This fish is pretty easy to breed. Females need to gain a lot of weight before eggs start to be produced. Spawning takes place in the typical Victorian mouthbrooder style.

Females hold about three weeks. Females are good holders and are pretty hard to strip. The fry are extremely small and will gladly accept baby brine shrimp as food. They are easy to raise and grow rapidly.

I don't know why, but I was never able to artificially hatch this fishes eggs. They tended to be susceptible to fungus.

Conclusion:

Haplochromis sp. "blue fire fin" is just like any other Victorian. It has some color, but nothing shocking. It is a good fish if you are into BAP. It was fiarly trendy a few years back, but I haven't seen it around since.