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| Scientific Name: Pelvicachromis pulcher |
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| Pronunciation: p
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| Common Name(s): Krib |
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| Geo. Origin: Coastal regions in Nigeria and west-central Cameroon |
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| Habitat: Forested waterways |
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| Diet: Omnivore |
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| Gender Differences: Dimorphic |
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| Breeding: Cave Spawner |
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| Temperament: Mildly Aggressive |
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| Conspecific Temperament: Mildly Aggressive |
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| Maximum Size: 3-3.5" |
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| Temperature: 75-78°F |
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| pH: 6.0-8.0 |
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| Water Hardness: Soft |
| Images: |
Female Yellow close up Show male Male Female Male Pair |
| Photo Credit: Nelson Oliveira |
| Articles: | 20 gal. long Cookie Cutter |
| Comments: |
| With all due respect to the original writer of this species profile, some revisions are in order. Pelvicachromis spp. are pair-bonding cave spawners that are closely associated with aquatic vegetation. An aquarium should be decorated accordingly, should one wish to breed this species. Males and females are easily distinguished by their respective color patterns and body shape, but when in doubt, look at the pelvic fins. With male P. pulcher, the first pelvic fin ray is the longest, giving the fin a pointed appearance; with females, however, the second or third pelvic fin ray is the longest, giving the fin a rounded appearance. This character is a sure-fire method to distinguish males from females in all Pelvicachromis species. There are several different collection points for this species, all of which are found in the Niger delta in Nigeria and from the Ndonga region in west-central Cameroon, each with a different color form. Interestingly, in the popular aquarium literature, P. pulcher is also putatively found in eastern Benin, but no recent reports from the field can confirm this! It is not known with absolute certainty if the three known color-morphs (green, red, and yellow, corresponding to the coloration exibited on the ventral parts of the head and throat) occur sympatrically or symtopically. â€"Randall Kohn |
