As the Fish of the Month for April, there will a bag of 3 x of Julidochromis regani available at the PCS Meeting for auction. This is a special lot to raise money for Stuart Grant Fund for Cichlid Preservation and have kindly been donated by one of our PCS Members - Joel (Extend). Joel has also written this months FotM profile -
Julidochromis regani
Julidochromis regani is a small to mid size, black and white stripe cichlid from Lake Tanganyika. It was described by Boulenger in 1898. According to Pierre Brichard would argue that J. regain and J.marlieri are the two dominant species of Julidochromis in the lake.
Size
According to Ad Konings in back to nature guide to Tanginyikan cichlids, J. regain reach between 10 and 13cm females being the bigger of the two sexes.
Classification
Order: Perciformes Family: Cichlidae
Distribution
It is found on the eastern and western shores of the lake. They are found in almost exclusively rocky habitat but will also venture onto sand adjacent to their rocky homes. Not found in particularly deep water, usually shallower than 10 meters.
Diet
Julidochromis regani are carnivores and will eat zoo plankton and other small invertebrates. In the aquarium they thrive on New Life Spectrum cichlid formula in the 1mm pellet as a staple diet, with live or frozen daphnia, brine shrimp as an added protein boost. They also have a particular fondness for live daphnia and mosquito larva. A small amount of green matter would do the fish no harm.
Maintenance
Julidochromis regani will thrive in any size tank. A minimum of 3x1.5x1.5ft is a perfect size for a pair of fish or if starting with a colony of 4 or 5 juveniles
Water conditions for J. regani are similar to keeping most Tanginyikan cichlids i.e. pH 8.5-8.7 or higher say 9.0, 24-26 degrees celcius and a kH of 10-15 are ideal. Being an aggressive fish by nature provide adequate rock work females and non-dominant males. The more rocks the better especially when housing two or more pairs in a smaller tank. A sandy substrate is also ideal for the fishes digging habits as they like to create multiple entrances in and out of their spawning site.
Character
An intraspecific aggressionist, meaning that you can keep J. regani with other species of Tanginyikan cichlids, however the pairs are aggressive towards other species of fish at breeding time but docile between spawns. Keep one pair of fish per 3ft tank; any other non-dominant couple or species is harassed but not usually injured, if they got too close to the breeding territory. Pairs will chase other fish but will not attack their own fry even after 3 or 4 months after spawning
Spawning
Cave or substrate spawner, very good at spawning without notice meaning you see fry before one realises they have laid eggs.
Notes
Julidochromis regani is a rather peculiar and entertaining fish. It can be likened to a curious dog as it moves around the rock moving it lips up and down like it’s sniffing out its territory while moving about the rock, a comical sight to witness. Its black and white horizontal stripes covering most of the body are what makes this fish different to J. marlieri, J.transcriptus. While J. ornatus has horizontal stripes only half the body is striped. J. regani are helpful in the way that parents will let successive spawns live in the same territory for an extended period of time, it helps to know that parents won’t eat their own babies.
Joel (Extend) took this awesome picture below himself of his livestock. Don't forget he has donated some of these great fish for you to bid on at the March Meeting. Learn about the fish and then own the fish. Funds raised go Cichlid Preservation.