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For more than a century the cichlids of Lake Tanganyika have been a focus of scientific attention, and many interesting facts regarding fish behavior have been learned from study of this complex fish community. During the last five decades almost all of the 226 known species have become available in the aquarium hobby, and most of them have proved to be excellent aquarium residents, allowing aquarists to make a considerable contribution to our knowledge of these fishes through observations in captivity.
This fourth, revised, edition of the definitive study of Lake Tanganyika cichlids discusses and illustrates more species than any previous publication. Basing his study on more than 850 hours of underwater observations all over the lake, the author characterizes the species by their habitat preferences, distribution, feeding and breeding behavior, and coloration.
The more than 1200 photos illustrate all known Tanganyika cichlids, and the majority were taken in the lake, portraying the fish in their natural habitat. And the wealth of information on the natural environment Tanganyika Cichlids in their Natural Habitat contains will render it increasingly possible to maintain each species in the most natural way, allowing it to behave as if it were in the lake. Only by thus duplicating their normal environment can we expect to be treated to the natural behavior of these cichlids.
Taxonomic changes since 2015:
- The total number of species discussed in this book is 226. There have been a few taxonomic changes since the previous (2015) edition, and these have been properly discussed in the book and are listed below in alphabetical order of genus.
- Hemibates: a second species, H. koningsi Schedel & Schliewen 2017, has been described.
- Julidochromis: new species described, Julidochromis marksmithi Burgess 2015 and three new species suggested in the 4th edition: J. sp. 'ornatus kombe', J. sp. 'ornatus muzi', and J. sp. 'ornatus kapampa'.
- Lepidiolamprologus: the fish previously referred to as L. meeli is now regarded as an undescribed form referred to as L. sp. 'meeli southeast' and L. meeli is now restricted to the forms found near the type locality; a new species was found along the shores of the Mahale Mountains and is referred to as L. sp. 'hecqui mahale'.
- Neolamprologus: the species at Kombe, Zambia, previously thought to be a possible hybrid between N. pulcher and N. savoryi (Konings 2015) is now regarded as a separate species, N. sp. 'kombe'.
- Introduction
- The lake and its cichlids
- Map of the lake
- Taxonomy and phylogeny
- The wave-washed upper rocky habitat
- The shallow rocky habitat
- The deep rocky habitat
- The shallow intermediate habitat
- The intermediate habitat
- The sand
- Empty shells
- Muddy bottoms
- The unknown depths
- References
- Index
