Taxonomy & naming
Tropheus sp. "Red Saddle" is a trade label for an undescribed member of the Lake Tanganyika genus Tropheus. The form is undescribed, and its identity and range are not documented in the sources behind the atlas.
Morphology
Imperial Tropicals says mature fish show a black body with a thick vertical red band running from the front of the dorsal fin down to the belly. No measurements are recorded.
Habitat
Not documented for this form. Genus-level: Tropheus are endemic to Lake Tanganyika and live on shallow rocky shores, where they graze algae growth from the stone.
Feeding
Imperial Tropicals describes Tropheus as obligate herbivores and warns that even small amounts of protein can cause bloating. Genus-level: Tropheus graze the algal and microbial layer on rocks and take little else.
Mating
Not documented for this form.
Breeding
Not documented for this form. Genus-level: Tropheus are maternal mouthbrooders; the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth.
In the aquarium
Imperial Tropicals says Tropheus form social hierarchies and should be kept in large groups of about 10 or more to spread out aggression, and that they are more peaceful toward other species than toward their own kind.
Conservation
An undescribed form has no IUCN category, and none is claimed here. Population and range data for it are not documented in the atlas's sources.