.jpg)
Latince Adı: Steatocranus casuarius
Habitatı ve Anavatanı: Orta Afrika. Zaire'nin kayalık nehirleri.
Beslenme Biçimi: Hem etçil, hem otçul, ağırlıklı olarak etçil beslenir.
Davranış Biçimi: Agresif
Kendi Türlerine Davranışı: Agresif
Yüzme Seviyesi: Dip
Cinsiyet Ayrımı: Dişi-erkek arasında belirgin bir ayrım yoktur. Erkekler nispeten daha iridir. Yüzgeçleri daha uzundur. Dişilerin kafalarındaki hörgüç erkeklerinkine göre oldukça az gelişir.
Üreme: Tek eşlidir. Eşi ölünce bir daha eş tutmaz ve yalnız yaşarlar. Üreme için ters çevrilmiş seksılar kullanılır. 150'ye kadar varabilen fakat genellikle 30-60 arası yumurta dökerler. Dişi yumurtalarla ilgilenir, erkek bölgeyi korur. Yavrulara 1-2 hafta kadar bakar, yavruları beslerler.
Sıcaklık: 20-28 °C
En Fazla Büyüdüğü Boy: Erkekler 12 cm, dişiler 8 cm
En Az Akvaryum Hacmi: 100lt
Su Sertliği: Yumuşak - Orta Sertlikte
pH: 6.5-7.0
Zorluk Seviyesi: 2
Yaşadığı bölge çok akıntılı olduğundan akvaryumda bol akıntı olmalıdır. Akıntı olmayan küçük bir bölge bulunması da iyi olacaktır. Akvaryumu bol kayalarla dekore edilmeli, bitki konulacaksa kayalara iyi sabitlenmelidir, aksi taktirde bitkileri sökebilir. Maymun Kafa bazı kişilerce Tanganyika Gölü Cichdlid'i olarak bilinmektedir. Oysaki Maymun Kafa nehirde yaşamakta ve Tanganyika Gölü'ne göre çok daha yumuşak ve hafif asitli suda yaşamaktadır. Mavi renk varyasyonu da vardır.
Maymun kafalar Orta Afrika bölgesinde bol kayalıklı nehirlerin akıntılı kısmında yaşarlar. Hem etçil hem otçul ağırlıklı beslenirler. Agresif bir balıktır, tek eşlidirler. Eş öldükten sonra bir daha eş tutmadıklarına dair iddalar vardır. Bu kimilerine göre doğru,kimilerine göre yanlıştır. Erkekler 8-9 cm, dişiler 5-6 cm olduklarında cinsel olgunluğa erişir. Akvaryumlarda bol kayalıklı ortam oluşturulması hoşlarına gider. Doğal ortamlarında olduğu gibi akıntlı bölge oluşturulması iyi olur. Yumurtlamaları için ters çevrilmiş saksılar iyi olur. Bir batımda dişi 40-80 arası veya daha fazla yumurta bırakabilir. Yavrular yumurtadan 4-5 günde çıkarlar. Anne baba yavrularını korur ve onların beslenmelerine yardımcı olur. Bu süre 3-4 haftadır.Daha sonra yavrular ayrı bir yere alınmalıdır. Erkekler 14-15 cm, dişiler 9-10 cm kadar büyüyebilirler. Karma akvaryumlarda yaşayabilirler ama agresif oldukları için tek tür beslenmeleri daha iyi olur.
| Common Names: | African Blockhead Buffalo Head Cichlid Humphead Lionhead Cichlid |
| Category: | Cichlids |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Distribution: | Africa; Fast flowing rivers and creeks in Zaire, Africa. |
| Main Ecosystem: | Stream; Stream |
| Temperament: | Territorial; Females are generally inoffensive but will occassionally quarrel amongst themselves. Males can be brusque and will defend an area, usually under bridges of decor or small caves, but are unlikely to attack fish who will avoid the area and not compete with them. Mature males can be aggressive towards females. Unusually pairs are monogamous in a way unknown to most cichlids. Adult pairs that have already bred can actually suffer depression if seperated and attempts to pair them off with new specimens often fail, with any affected adult never choosing another mate. Males may go as far as to persecute new unwanted females. Males tend to survive better unpaired but unpaired females often wane and die, their longevity almost halved. The best way to procure these fish, is to avoid mature adults, especially wild specimens. Spectacular though they may be, they will often have been seperated from their regular mate. So choose juvenile specimens who in an aquarium will pair off more successfully with first time partners. If you can find a paired off couple in your LFS, snap them up! Unless very young, never assume this species will pair off successfully, no matter how many specimens of different sexes you may buy. Again, unpaired specimens may fail to do well, so always buy partner fish for this species. Unpaired specimens may be persecuted by pairs and mature specimens, and usually they wane even if not attacked. Obviously should one half of a pair become ill, make every effort to save it for the sake of its partner. Widowed males are often better kept seperate from their own species if early attempts to replace the mate fail. Better that than the continued serial killing and ostracization of females that may occur with repeated efforts to find it a mate. Basically find established pairs or juveniles, or odds of successful long term keeping will not be good. |
| Diet: | Ominvore; Will eat a range of foods, but likes a varied diet, and is often very fond of chopped shellfish, particularly freshwater mussel, though it will also accept the marine equivalent. If offered the chopped shellfish placed within the shell itself, the food recognition is almost instant, and this can be the key in getting difficult feeders to eat. |
| Care: | Feed flakes and brine shrimp. Humpheads need light coloured, fine gravel to show their best colours. Caves are essential. Plants are sometimes uprooted. A strong current should be provided. |
| pH: |
|
| Temperature: |
|
| Hardness: |
|
| Potential Size: | Male: 12cm (4.7") Female: 12cm (4.7") |
| Water Region: | Bottom; Bottom |
| Activity: | Diurnal; Diurnal |
| Gender: | Males grow longer, are darker and have a larger hump. |
| Breeding: | Pairs bond for life. The parents will spawn on the roof of a cave. A shell also makes a nice environment for them to spawn in. In the wild it has been documented seeing these cute little fish spawning in shells as well as caves. Use a neutral pH with medium-hard water. Both the male and female will care for the eggs and fry. The male will become particularly territorial. |
| Mouth: | Normal |
| Comments: | The humphead will move around the bottom of the tank with a series of jerking movements, rather than swimming. |
| Markings: | Not Specified |
| Tail: | Flat |
Common name: Lionhead cichlid, blockhead cichlid
Scientif name: Steatocranus casuarius
Max size: Males 4 ½ in / 11 cm, females 2 in / 8 cm
pH: 6.0 - 8.0
Temperature: 73 - 82 ° F / 20 - 28 ° C
The Lionhead cichlid is different from most other cichlids since it rarely ever swims; it just jumps over the bottom of the tank. This behaviour is an adaptation to the environment it inhabits in the wild. Lionhead cichlids live in rapidly moving creeks and rivers. By skipping along the bottom they need to spend less energy fighting the current. The Lionhead cichlid is native to eastern Africa where it is found in the Congo - Zaire region.
The Lionhead cichlid has a reduced swim bladder which makes it much less buoyant than other cichlids. This means that it can not swim as gracefully as other cichlids even if it wanted to. This too is an adaptation to environment it lives in.
The Lionhead cichlid is a hardy species that can be recommended as someone’s first cichlid.
Scientif name: Steatocranus casuarius
Max size: Males 4 ½ in / 11 cm, females 2 in / 8 cm
pH: 6.0 - 8.0
Temperature: 73 - 82 ° F / 20 - 28 ° C
The Lionhead cichlid is different from most other cichlids since it rarely ever swims; it just jumps over the bottom of the tank. This behaviour is an adaptation to the environment it inhabits in the wild. Lionhead cichlids live in rapidly moving creeks and rivers. By skipping along the bottom they need to spend less energy fighting the current. The Lionhead cichlid is native to eastern Africa where it is found in the Congo - Zaire region.
The Lionhead cichlid has a reduced swim bladder which makes it much less buoyant than other cichlids. This means that it can not swim as gracefully as other cichlids even if it wanted to. This too is an adaptation to environment it lives in.
The Lionhead cichlid is a hardy species that can be recommended as someone’s first cichlid.
Aquarium setup
The Lionhead cichlid can be kept in a aquarium that is at least 30 gallon (150L) or bigger. The aquarium should be setup to mimic the natural habitat of this cichlid. This means relatively strong current and a lot f open areas as well as rocks and caves. Try to create some areas that are less affected by the current. Plants are not necessary and if you want to use plants you should only use hardy species. Lionhead cichlids will usually leave plants alone, but there is always a risk. Strong current is not a necessity when you keep this species but you should keep he water clean and well oxygenated.
The lion head cichlid is not very demanding in regards to water conditions but it prefers neutral water (tolerates pH 6.0 - 8.0) and a temperature between 73 and 82 ° F /23 and 28 ° C. Changing 30-50% of the water weekly is recommended.
Lionhead cichlids are best kept in pairs. This species form very strong pairs and it can be hard to get a Lionhead cichlid to accept a new partner if the old one dies. They are very aggressive towards other specimens of their own species (outside the pair). This species can be kept with other cichlids with similar needs and goes very well with Central American cichlids.
The lion head cichlid is not very demanding in regards to water conditions but it prefers neutral water (tolerates pH 6.0 - 8.0) and a temperature between 73 and 82 ° F /23 and 28 ° C. Changing 30-50% of the water weekly is recommended.
Lionhead cichlids are best kept in pairs. This species form very strong pairs and it can be hard to get a Lionhead cichlid to accept a new partner if the old one dies. They are very aggressive towards other specimens of their own species (outside the pair). This species can be kept with other cichlids with similar needs and goes very well with Central American cichlids.
Feeding Lionhead cichlids
Lionhead cichlids accept most food types and willingly will eat cichlids pellets and other dry food. They should be fed a varied diet consisting of both vegetable and animal food items. Feed young specimens 2-3 times a day, adults 1-2. Adults do well with a day or two without food every now and then. A good diet can consist of giving them cichlid pellets two times a day and various frozen foods once a day.
Sexing Lionhead cichlids
The males are larger and have a hump on the head. Females are smaller and without the hump. It can be hard to sex young cichlids. Lionhead cichlids can (just like all other cichlids) be sexed by looking at their genitals. Female genitals are rounder and broader. Male genitals are smaller and pointier.
Breeding Lionhead cichlids
This species is relatively easy to breed once you got a suitable pair. The best way to get good pairs is to let a group of juveniles grow up together and form their own pairs. Excess fish can then be removed from the aquarium and sold. Lionhead cichlids are usually very good parents. They prefer to spawn in a cave but can sometimes spawn on other surfaces. Provide the fish wit a lot of suitable caves. If they don't find one to their liking, they might excavate one from under a rock. Each spawning usually result in just a small number of eggs. Large females can produce 150 eggs per spawning but batches as small as 20 eggs are commonplace. The eggs are adhesive and will stay attached to the roof of the cave. The eggs usually take about one week to hatch and it takes another week before the fry is free swimming. The fry can be fed newly hatched brine shrimp from day one. Lionhead cichlid fry are hardy just like their parents.
Etiketler:
AFRİKA CHİCLİDLERİ
0 yorum: