Neolamprologus cylindricus "Katili"

Katilikah-TEE-lee (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 Neolamprologus cylindricus account →

Specific to Katili

  • 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 Neolamprologus cylindricus.

IUCNLEAST CONCERN · 2025
CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size4.1 in10.4 cm total length
Temperature73–82 °F23–28 °C
pH7–9alkaline
Depth0–33 ft0–10 m
DietMicro-carnivore; feeds on invertebrates including shrimps and crustaceans taken from rock biocover and crevices.
BreedingCave substrate spawner.~tens of eggs (genus-typical)
Sexual dimorphismYesMales larger with slightly more produced dorsal and anal fin tips; ripe females show a rounder belly; sexing by appearance is unreliable — venting is recommended.
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

The Katili population

Neolamprologus cylindricus "Katili" is the Katili population of Neolamprologus cylindricus, a geographic colour form from the Democratic Republic of the Congo coast of Lake Tanganyika in the central part of the lake. It is the same species as Neolamprologus cylindricus, distinguished by its collection locality and local coloration; aquarists keep and breed it as a discrete, provenance-labelled line.

Colour reference: living Katili fish at tanganyika.si

About the species

Neolamprologus cylindricus is a small, boldly barred rock-dwelling cichlid found only along the southeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. Its cigar-shaped body and chain of crisp dark bands make it one of the most instantly recognizable of the lake's lamprologines. In the wild it is a secretive crevice predator; in the aquarium it is a hardy but pugnaciously territorial fish best kept as a single bonded pair.

Full Neolamprologus cylindricus account →

Sources

  1. tanganyika.si — Neolamprologus cylindricus "Katili"
  2. FishBase — Neolamprologus cylindricus
  3. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes — Neolamprologus cylindricus (species record)
  4. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes — Staeck & Seegers 1986 reference record
  5. Staeck, W. & Seegers, L. 1986. Neolamprologus cylindricus spec. nov. (original description, DATZ 39(10):448–451)
  6. Aibara, Takahashi & Nakaya 2005. Neolamprologus cancellatus, a new cichlid from Lake Tanganyika (Ichthyological Research 52)