Aquarist Atlas
↑ Collection form of Telmatochromis bifrenatus

Telmatochromis bifrenatus "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 Telmatochromis bifrenatus 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 Telmatochromis bifrenatus.

IUCNLEAST CONCERN · 2006
CARESNOT LISTED
Scientific size3.9 in10 cm total length
Temperature75–79 °F24–26 °C
pH8.5–9.5alkaline
Depth16–66 ft5–20 m
DietOmnivore; grazes biofilm, aufwuchs, and small invertebrates from rocky substrate
BreedingCave/crevice substrate spawner (lamprologine)Up to ~80 eggs
Sexual dimorphismYesMales slightly larger and more slender; sexes difficult to distinguish outside breeding condition
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

The Lyamembe population

Telmatochromis bifrenatus "Lyamembe" is the Lyamembe population of Telmatochromis bifrenatus, 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 Telmatochromis bifrenatus, 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

Telmatochromis bifrenatus is a small, eel-shaped lamprologine cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika, instantly recognizable by an elongated body, a blunt rounded head, and a pair of dark stripes running its length. It lives a quiet, semi-secretive life among rocks in the shallow littoral, wedging into crevices and abandoned snail shells where it spawns as a cave brooder. Plain by Tanganyikan standards, it is prized by keepers for its modest size, mild temper, and the curious 'shock-wave' courtship dance the males perform. Few aquarium cichlids combine this much character with this little aggression.

Full Telmatochromis bifrenatus account →

Sources

  1. tanganyika.si — Telmatochromis bifrenatus "Lyamembe"
  2. Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes — Telmatochromis bifrenatus (species record)
  3. FishBase — Telmatochromis bifrenatus summary
  4. FishBase — Telmatochromis bifrenatus reproduction summary
  5. USGS NAS — Lake Tanganyika dwarf cichlid (Telmatochromis bifrenatus) fact sheet
  6. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Telmatochromis bifrenatus Ecological Risk Screening Summary