Astatotilapia Latifasciata: (Zebra Obliquidens)

Common name: Zebra obliquidens, Haplochromis obliquidens zebra (This fish is commonly confused with Haplochromis sp.44 "Redtail", which they are not, hence the Astatotilapia naming difference, plus the Zebra Oblique grows a little larger than species 44 and has a more “perch type” look.)

Origin: This species is found in Lake Kioga (sometimes spelled Kyoga) in Uganda, East Africa, as well as Lake Nawampasa, a satellite of Lake Victoria. Contrary to popular belief, this species is not found in Lake Victoria itself.

Size: Max. 5”

Water: Somewhat Hard.

Breeding: This species is a typical maternal mouthbrooder and breeds in much the same way as other African Cichlids.

Sexing: Males are much more colorful than females especially on the belly, making this species quite easy to sex.

Notes: All of the fish in the trade are captive bred in the Czech Republic and the Far East and are very inbred or are hybrids. Wild populations of A. latifasciata are on the IUCN Red List for fish, and are currently considered critically endangered. An interesting side note is the story/rumor behind this fish. It was considered pretty much extinct, but apparently some multi-millionaire who kept all kinds of rare fish, had a big tank full of these which were discovered after his death, and now are somewhat common in the hobby. How true this is I don’t know, but it’s kind-of a cool story nevertheless. It certainly would explain the heavy inbreeding and hybridizing of this species.