The breeding of cichlids in aquariums is popular, but what if you decide on a less common species? This article will guide you through the experiences of breeding Xenotilapia spilopterus, a fascinating representative of biparental mouthbrooders from Lake Tanganyika in Africa. You will learn about the life they lead in the wild as well as how to successfully breed, feed, and propagate them in your own aquarium.
In this short article, I would like to focus on my experiences with the breeding of the less common representative of sand cichlids - Xenotilapia spilopterus. This species belongs to the so-called biparental mouthbrooders, which means that both parents take care of the offspring. Biparental mouthbrooders are among the most developed mouthbrooders in terms of evolution. Unlike maternal mouthbrooders, where the male defends the territory and the female incubates the eggs independently, here the territory is defended by the pair together, and thanks to the alternating care of the offspring, the female does not exhaust herself with a prolonged fast.
Life in the lake
This species occurs in Lake Tanganyika. In the lake, Xenotilapia spilopterus typically inhabits deeper waters at a depth of 15-40m, where they are found in the so-called transitional zone (the boundary between rocky and sandy zones). They do not occur in the shallow parts of the lake, which is also indicated by their coloration, which is rather pastel. The most common coloration is a light body sprinkled with blue spots and, depending on the locality, with differently colored dorsal fins. During the breeding season, pairs form that defend a territory in the rocky zone with a diameter of approximately two meters. This territory is primarily defended against individuals of the same species. Outside the breeding season, they move in schools above the sandy parts of the lake. Their natural diet consists largely of insect larvae.
Breeding in the aquarium
Males usually measure 10 cm and are slightly smaller. The color difference between the sexes is very slight. For this reason, it is optimal to start with about 10 fry and place them in a spacious aquarium. For breeding, I recommend a tank of 300 liters or more. Water parameters should be the same as for other species from Tanganyika - water temperature around 24-26 °C, nitrate levels ideally below 30 mg, and pH 8 and above. For feeding, I most often offer live or frozen plankton, artemia, copepods, mosquito larvae, and high-quality flake food.
I breed fish from the Lyamembe locality, which are characterized by beautiful gold-blue decorated dorsal fins. For their breeding, I chose a large community aquarium measuring 300 cm x 80 cm x 60 cm, which they inhabit together with Cyprichromis leptosoma Moba, Enantiopus melanogenys Chituta andOphthalmotilapia nasuta Isinga. Each of the mentioned species occupies its space in the aquarium and does not interfere with each other.
This species Xenotilapia does not build nests; it simply swims freely above the sand and searches for potential food. During the breeding season, a pair separates from the school, defending a territory near a larger rock or in a corner of the aquarium where they feel safe. At this time, they attack all fish of their species, and in the case of a smaller tank, fatal injuries may occur.
After spawning, the female incubates the eggs in her buccal cavity for about 9-12 days and then hands them over to the male, who completes the incubation, and after about 21 days, releases fully developed fry about 1.5 cm in size. It is very important to give the fish time to learn to care for the offspring. The first spawns often end with the pair failing to transfer the fry or concluding that they do not have enough peace, and the spawn disappears. The buccal cavity in these fish is relatively inconspicuous and easily escapes attention, which makes it relatively difficult for the breeder to determine when the fish are spawning.
The easiest way to recognize a carrying fish is by the so-called "mixing," when it regularly mixes the contents of its buccal cavity. Xenotilapia spilopterus reportedly produces up to 50 eggs. In my case, the most common spawns yield around 15 fry, with the highest recorded being 24 fry per spawn. For weaning the fry, I use newly hatched artemia and gradually transition to fine plankton. Larger fish then accept frozen artemia and flakes. This species reaches adult size at about two years of age.
Conclusion
Breeding these fish is not among the easiest, as they (like other representatives of the genus Xenotilapia) are sensitive to water quality and stress, but those who try it will not regret it. With suitable lighting and carefully chosen tank mates in the aquarium, breeders are rewarded with beautiful colors and an interesting breeding method.
