Taxonomy & naming
Haplochromis sp. "44" is a trade label for an undescribed Lake Victoria cichlid. The hobby sells it as Astatotilapia sp. "44". The atlas files Lake Victoria haplochromines under Haplochromis in the broad sense, so this page uses that genus. Rick Borstein (GCCA, 2007) believes it was first imported to the United States around 1995, and says more than one species has probably been exported under the name. Its trade synonyms include Astatotilapia sp. "red tail" and Astatotilapia sp. "thick skin". The form is undescribed, so it has no valid name, authority or year.
Morphology
Rick Borstein (GCCA, 2007) describes only his own fish, because images on the web vary in colour. Males have an overall tan-green cast, a red tail and a blue-gray dorsal fin. A courting male shows a distinct barred pattern, and the fish can change pattern quickly. A 3 inch (3 in) young male was photographed in normal colour. No adult length is given.
Habitat
Rick Borstein (GCCA, 2007) writes that the fish is found at the shoreline in shallow water. No collection locality is recorded.
Feeding
Rick Borstein (GCCA, 2007) says that in the wild the fish is an opportunistic planktivore. He fed Dainichi Veggie Deluxe, Graze Flakes, New Life Spectrum and the occasional live brine shrimp, and suggests a varied diet.
Mating
Rick Borstein (GCCA, 2007) saw the male colour up from time to time, when the red tail became bright and vertical stripes appeared on the flanks. He calls the species a polygamous mouthbrooder.
Breeding
Rick Borstein (GCCA, 2007) says the fish is not difficult to breed, and breeds young: a small 1 in female may be seen holding. He placed a trio in a 125 US gal tank with ten Nimbochromis linni and five Archocentrus myrnae, with sand, terracotta caves and flowerpots. A female was holding within a couple of weeks. He reports that Victorian haplochromines are almost always excellent holders, and about twenty days after spawning he stripped sixteen fully formed fry. They took live baby brine shrimp at once and were easy to raise in a 5 US gal grow-out tank.
In the aquarium
Rick Borstein (GCCA, 2007) calls the fish easy to keep, at 75–81 °F with regular partial water changes, in hard tap water. His young breeders were not overly aggressive, but he has hard reports that large, older males can get nasty. He advises a tank at least 35.5 in long with caves, rocks and cover. Juveniles were $6 to $8, and he says there seems always to be somebody in the club with these fish.
Conservation
An undescribed form has no IUCN category, and none is claimed here. Population and range data for it are not documented in the atlas's sources.