Compressed Cichlid – Altolamprologus Compressiceps

Common name: Compressed Cichlid

Scientific name: Altolamprologus compressiceps, Lamprologus compressiceps, Neolamprologus compressiceps

Average Adult Fish Size: 15cm / 6 Inches

Place of Origin: Lake Tanganyika

Typical Tank setup: Rocky Tanganyika tank with plenty of caves.

Recommended Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 200 Litres

Compatibility: Other Tanganyikan fish.

Temperature: 24-28 Deg C / 74-82 Deg F

Water chemistry:  pH 7.6-8.6

Feeding: Omnivorous – Feed with shrimp, frozen foods and small fish.

Sexing: Males are usually significantly larger in established pairs. Mature males will also appear deeper bodied with more elongated finnage. These differences are not apparent in juveniles.

Breeding: The Compressed Cichlid, Compressiceps, or Lamp Compressiceps are egg layers. They are sheltered substrate spawners. The female will pick a crevice too small for the male to enter to lay her eggs. The male will lie over the opening and release his sperm to fertilize the eggs. The female will lay more than 300 eggs.

Additional Information: An elongated and laterally compressed cichlid. The back is arched and the dorsal fin is elongated. The large mouth faces the surface of the water. The body color is generally off-white to light brown, and the fins are beige. The body is marked with ten to 12 transverse bars. The body is spotted with small whitish markings. A dark black marking extends from the upper lip, through the eye, and back down to the bottom of the gill cover. The anal and dorsal fin have a darker edging.