Aquarist Atlas
↑ Collection form of Neolamprologus similis

Neolamprologus similis "Lyamembe"

Lyamembe — lyah-MEHM-beh (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 similis account →

Specific to Lyamembe

  • 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 similis.

IUCNLEAST CONCERN · 2025
CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size2 in5 cm total length
Temperature73–82 °F23–28 °C
pH7.4–8.4alkaline
Depth33–148 ft10–45 m
DietMicro-invertebrates including copepods, ostracods, and insect larvae; supplements with algae and organic detritus gleaned from the substrate
BreedingSubstrate spawner (inside Neothauma shell)Small; early broods often only a handful of fry, increasing with female age and experience
Sexual dimorphismYesMales noticeably larger than females; reliable sexing usually requires behavioral observation
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

The Lyamembe population

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

Colour reference: living Lyamembe fish at tanganyika.si →

About the species

Neolamprologus similis is a thumbnail-sized shell-dwelling cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika, where colonies of it live their whole lives in and around the empty shells of Neothauma snails scattered across the lake floor. Closely modeled on its better-known cousin Neolamprologus multifasciatus, it is set apart most reliably by the dark bars that cross its face. Each fish defends a shell barely larger than itself, and a single male may oversee a harem of females tucked into their own shells nearby.

Full Neolamprologus similis account →

Sources

  1. tanganyika.si — Neolamprologus similis "Lyamembe"
  2. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes — Neolamprologus similis (Büscher 1992)
  3. FishBase — Neolamprologus similis summary
  4. GBIF — Neolamprologus similis occurrence records
  5. IUCN Red List — Lamprologus similis (Fermon, Y. 2025)
  6. Büscher, H. H. 1992. Ein neuer Cichlide aus dem Tanganjikasee, Neolamprologus similis n. sp. DATZ 45(8):520–525