Aquarist Atlas
↑ Collection form of Julidochromis dickfeldi

Julidochromis dickfeldi "Chimba"

Chimba — CHEEM-bah (approx.)

The fish

How this cichlid is built, and everything about how it lives, eats and breeds, is shared with the species — this page doesn't repeat it.

Read the full Julidochromis dickfeldi account →

Specific to Chimba

  • Collection locality & coordinates
  • Local coloration — best judged from the living-fish photo
  • Kept as a single-provenance line, never crossed with other collection points

Care facts below are the species' — shared with Julidochromis dickfeldi.

IUCNNEAR THREATENED · 2025
CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size3.9 in10 cm total length
Temperature73–81 °F23–27 °C
pH7.8–9.5alkaline
Depth16–115 ft5–35 m
DietSmall crustaceans and invertebrates gleaned from rocky substrate and aufwuchs algal mat; algae and sponge material taken incidentally.
Breedingcave/crevice substrate spawner35–50 eggs
Sexual dimorphismYesSubtle; coloration is not reliably diagnostic. Per Cichlid Room Companion, the male is typically the larger fish in this species, contrary to the general Julidochromis pattern.
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

The Chimba population

Julidochromis dickfeldi "Chimba" is the Chimba population of Julidochromis dickfeldi, a geographic colour form from the Zambia coast of Lake Tanganyika in the southern part of the lake. It is the same species as Julidochromis dickfeldi, distinguished by its collection locality and local coloration; aquarists keep and breed it as a discrete, provenance-labelled line.

Colour reference: living Chimba fish at tanganyika.si →

About the species

Julidochromis dickfeldi, the Brown Julie, is a small rock-dwelling cichlid endemic to a narrow stretch of southwestern Lake Tanganyika. Slate-grey with three dark length-wise stripes and a cool blue sheen, it lives wedged into cracks in the rock, picking tiny invertebrates off the stone and the encrusting algae. It is best known to aquarists as one of the most approachable "julies" to breed: a faithful cave spawner whose pairs guard a fixed territory year-round and sometimes recruit older offspring as live-in babysitters.

Full Julidochromis dickfeldi account →

Sources

  1. tanganyika.si — Julidochromis dickfeldi "Chimba"
  2. Julidochromis dickfeldi — FishBase species summary
  3. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes (Catalog of Fishes), California Academy of Sciences
  4. Species in Julidochromis — FishBase identification list
  5. Brown Julie (Julidochromis dickfeldi) — iNaturalist taxon page
  6. Staeck, W. (1975). A new cichlid fish from Lake Tanganyika: Julidochromis dickfeldi sp. n. Revue de Zoologie et de Botanique Africaines 89(4):981-986 (via Cichlid Room Companion reference)