Pseudotropheus sp. "Sand Cobalt" "Likoma Island"

Likoma Islandlee-KOH-mah EYE-land (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 Pseudotropheus sp. "Sand Cobalt" account →

Specific to Likoma Island

  • 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 Pseudotropheus sp. "Sand Cobalt".

CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size4 in10 cm total length
Temperature75–82 °F24–28 °C
pH7.7–8.6alkaline
Hardness (GH)very hardup to 446 ppm
Depth13–49 ft4–15 m
DietAlgae grazer — aufwuchs on rock/rubble, likely supplemented by loose biofilm over adjacent sand
Breedingmaternal mouthbroodernot documented for this form; genus-typical, a few dozen eggs
Sexual dimorphismYesDominant males expected to show a deep cobalt-blue body per the trade name; precise fin trim and female pattern not documented.
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

The Likoma Island population

Pseudotropheus sp. "Sand Cobalt" "Likoma Island" is the Likoma Island population of Pseudotropheus sp. "Sand Cobalt", a geographic colour form from the Malawi coast of Lake Malawi in the central part of the lake. It is the same species as Pseudotropheus sp. "Sand Cobalt", distinguished by its collection locality and local coloration; aquarists keep and breed it as a discrete, provenance-labelled line.

Colour reference: living Likoma Island fish at malawi.si

About the species

Pseudotropheus sp. "Sand Cobalt" is an undescribed mbuna recorded from Likoma Island, a large mid-lake island in the Mozambican waters of Lake Malawi that is administratively part of Malawi. Its trade name points to two things at once: a deep, saturated cobalt-blue male colour, and a habitat preference for the sandy, intermediate zone rather than dense boulder piles. It has no describing author, no FishBase page and no IUCN assessment.

Full Pseudotropheus sp. "Sand Cobalt" account →

Sources

  1. malawi.si — Pseudotropheus sp. "Sand Cobalt" "Likoma Island"
  2. Cichlid Room Companion — genus Pseudotropheus
  3. Konings, A. — Malawi Cichlids in their Natural Habitat (Cichlid Press)