Photo taken at Wharf Aquatics
Photos © Sean Evans
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| Common name: | Bumblebee cichlid |
| Scientific name: | Pseudotropheus crabro |
| Synonyms: | Pseudotropheus chameleo, Metriaclima/Maylandia crabro, also formerly known as Melanochromis crabro. |
| Size: | 5" (12.5cm) |
| Origin: | Lake Malawi, East Africa |
| Tank setup: | A large tank with many rock caves. |
| Compatibility: | Combine with other mbuna species, quite aggressive. |
| Temperature: | 23-28oC (73-82oF) |
| Water chemistry: | Hard and alkaline: pH 7.6-8.6 ; GH 7 plus ; KH 10-12 ideally, but at least 6. |
| Feeding: | Omnivore, feed a varied diet of dried foods and frozen/live foods. In the wild, this species feeds
on parasites of the catfish Bagrus meridionalis, and will also eat the eggs of spawning catfish. |
| Sexing: | No obvious differences, but breeding males become much darker. |
| Breeding: | Mouthbrooder. A secretive cave spawner. |
| Comments: |
The bright contrasting stripes of juveniles make this species a popular choice for a mbuna tank. The name "chameleo" is a trade name that refers to this species' ability
to change its colour rapidly from yellow bars to a uniform dark brown.
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