Maylandia sp. "Msobo Heteropictus" "Higga Reef"

Higga ReefHEE-gah REEF (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 Maylandia sp. "Msobo Heteropictus" account →

Specific to Higga Reef

  • 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 Maylandia sp. "Msobo Heteropictus".

CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size4 in10 cm total length
Temperature75–82 °F24–28 °C
pH7.7–8.6alkaline
Hardness (GH)very hardup to 446 ppm
Depth10–66 ft3–20 m
DietAufwuchs grazer (algae, diatoms and associated micro-invertebrates scraped from rock)
BreedingMaternal mouthbroodernot documented for this form
Sexual dimorphismYesTrade name implies a colour pattern distinct from standard msobo; specifics not formally described
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

The Higga Reef population

Maylandia sp. "Msobo Heteropictus" "Higga Reef" is the Higga Reef population of Maylandia sp. "Msobo Heteropictus", a geographic colour form from the Tanzania coast of Lake Malawi in the northern part of the lake. It is the same species as Maylandia sp. "Msobo Heteropictus", distinguished by its collection locality and local coloration; aquarists keep and breed it as a discrete, provenance-labelled line.

Colour reference: living Higga Reef fish at malawi.si

About the species

Maylandia sp. 'msobo heteropictus' is an undescribed zebra mbuna from the Tanzanian shore of northern Lake Malawi, documented somewhat south of the localities usually given for the plainer Maylandia sp. 'msobo'. Its trade name places it within the broader msobo group while the qualifier 'heteropictus' — from the Greek for 'other' or 'different' and the Latin for 'painted' or 'patterned' — flags a colour pattern that differs from the standard msobo form. It has not been formally described.

Full Maylandia sp. "Msobo Heteropictus" account →

Sources

  1. malawi.si — Maylandia sp. "Msobo Heteropictus" "Higga Reef"
  2. Konings, A. — Malawi Cichlids in their Natural Habitat, 5th ed. (Cichlid Press)
  3. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes — Genus record (authority for valid names; this trade name has no catalog entry)