Why I like Africans

[jon carman]

When I first began keeping africans, th main reason at first was the color. Then I started liking the diversity and how many species and choices I had.

But when I really started studying the lakes, it blew my mind how the species has "changed" to fit the lake and food sources.

Lake Tanganyika is a much older lake. I don't go to deep into this much because it can get on pretty shaky ground quick when talking about changes over time. So over a long period of time,(based on your belief you fill in the blank of what amount of time you want it to be) tanganyikan cichlids species "changed" dramatically to fill the food chain from top to bottom and survive in the lake. Then in Malawi a much younger lake, the fish are just begging to start the change.

In Malawi, you have mbuna- in tanganyika you have tropheus.

in malawi you have a hap compressiceps and in tanganyika you have a Alt. compressiceps both have laterally compressed bodies that help them get to fry in a small crevice

In Malawi you have a livingstoni and others that play dead with a patchy colored body that pop up and ambush curious fish that get to close. In tanganyika, you have the lemarii that also have a patchy color that do the same play dead routine.

In Malawi you have large predators that resemble barracuda, and tangs have very similar looking fish.

In tanganyika the changes are way more drastic. Most novice hobbyist that come to my shop have no problem telling a lot of tangs apart. With Malawi cichlids you basically have Mbuna(rock) and peacocks and haps. Haps and peacocks look very similar, but there is a lot of small scale diversity in all of them.

Then with Malawi and Tangs, you have color diversity within the same species. This is considered collection points. With a peacock for instance, you have a ngara flametail and a sunshine. One is red and blue, the other yellow and blue, but still same species. You have white labs from nkhata bay and then yellow labs from lions cove. In tangs, you have almost an endless number of color variants of tropheus, brichardi and so on.

The thing that is so mind blowing is that all the tangs are thought to have come from a single species or two and then "changed" to survive to utilize every food source the lake has to offer, and in Malawi they are also thought to come from a single species much later. But since the lakes are so similar, they are starting to show similarities in the way they are ending up.

That is the non scientific reason why I don't seem to get bored with africans, and africans only. Every order I get in, I feel like a kid at Christmas. I get to open boxes and learn about what I just got in. The part I like the most is sharing the useless knowledge I pick up with others.

[tpindell]

Where is my like button?

[kyangelsncorys]

Maybe we need to add 2 buttons to our FORUM one that we agree and one when we disagree with what the person that starts it said.Im agree with tpindell i like what Jon said it makes alot of sence.

[mototech745 Mike]

I like the useless knowledge and the time in the fish house.

[jon carman]

Another cool fact about the lakes-

Malawi- 360 miles long, 47 miles wide at widest point.

Tanganyika- 418 miles long, 45 miles wide

Tennessee- 440 miles long, 120 miles wide

I would also like to learn more of the theory behind the south new world cichlids and old world cichlids, and other similar animals from both continents and how they got there. Stuff like that holds my short attention.

[ree123]

I LOVE this thread !

Other fact finders ?

[davidtcb1]

Good thread Jon. I must admit, I'm pretty bad in telling the difference in a lot of haps vs. peacocks.

[jon carman]

There is a lot more diversity in the haps as far as body shape and feeding behavior. Peacocks have pits that act as somthing of a sonar to help them locate food in the substrate. Haps do not have the pits. There are some haps that are almost identical to peacocks but lack the pits, known as lethrinops.

With mbuna, the teeth are different for different feeding behaviors. You can have several species of mbuna feeding in a small area because of this. Some will comb the algae and filter out food without harming the algae. Another will come behind it and snip it at an angle leaving some in its place. Then another will come in and totally remove what is left.

All pretty interesting, without these different feeding adaptations, these fish couldn't survive in such a small area.

[davidtcb1]

Pits near the mouth?

[jon carman]

In between eyes and mouth, several. I think it is connected or at least an enhancement to the lateral line.

[jgentry]

The evolution of fish in the rift lakes is very interesting. I enjoy reading and learning about them. Fish from the rift lakes are generally pretty colorful lots can be kept in 50g tanks. I've kept and spawned several of them but they just never grabbed me. Something about them just doesn't keep my attention like new world cichlids do. I certainly respect them though and hope the lakes can be saved from the many challenges they are facing.

[jon carman]

I did my best effort to turn you to the dark side. I thought I converted you, but I failed miserably.
As long as the mbuna tank is at your vet clinic I wont lose all hope.

[jon carman]

JD, what is the theory behind cichlids and other freshwater fish being split by atlantic ocean. Pangea continent drift?

[jgentry]

Nov 6, 2012 6:50:18 GMT -6 jon carman said:

I did my best effort to turn you to the dark side. I thought I converted you, but I failed miserably.
As long as the mbuna tank is at your vet clinic I wont lose all hope.

Lol, you won't be happy at the pet pictures for Santa then. It's a SA cichlid tank now and gets rave reviews. I gave the mbuna to a kid that wanted to start a 75g cichlid tank. He loves them.

There are several different theories. Drift is the most common. To me Madagascar is one of the most interesting cichlid habitats. In terrible danger of complete extinction with completely unique fish that are stunning and incredibly challenging to keep and spawn. The look so much like saltwater fish without the crazy colors.

[davidtcb1]

I'm a bit with JD on this one. I would like to get into more of the SA/CA world too, though I've owned more Africans (did mbunas, trying fronts now). The Madagascars are awesome, I'd love to try a couple tanks of them when I have room.