Is easy to list the feeding habit of the mbunas?

[Johnny Bravo]

Hello everyone!

When we are knowing the things always arise questions. Isn't it? More knowledge means more questions. Isn't it? hehehe I know nothing but I have some questions...

I still remember one of my first information about mbunas: they are vegetarian. After I discovery, P. cabro is omnivorous because it eats parasites on Synodontis (a kind of symbiosis). After, somebody told me the genus Labidochromis is omnivorous. Recently I've read some Melanochromis species are predators (they prey on little fish when is possible - opportunism). OK, no problems, I can fell asleep even after those informations...but I wake up every morning thinking:

Is easy/possible to list the feeding habit of the mbunas? Who is vegetarian, who is predator and who is omnivorous? Has someone got another new for me?

Thanks

[meee]

Most mbuna are vegetarians. some, like you said, are omniverous, however you can just feed them veggie food. the melanochromis species aren't predators as far as I know. yes, they will feed on smaller fish when they can, but so will most other mbuna as well. what i do is feed my mbuna frozen brine shrimp once a week, this way they get some variety, and they seem to really like it.
Hope this helps

[Thanmos]

You should not consider the term "mbuna" as anything more than a (big) generalisation...
There are omnivorous, insectivorous, vegetarian etc "mbuna" as well as haps too. In fact, they can all adapt to most foods with varying demand for vegetable food.
Remember that most malawi cichlids are close relatives to each other.
The only way to know just how much "vegetarian" or not is a "mbuna" is to buy a good book, like "Malawi cichlids in their natural habitat" by Konings...

[Johnny Bravo]

Hello,

Thanks for the answers.

meee, I've recently read about those habits in Melanochromis on an article written by Dr. Loiselle. Until that moment they were vegetarian (for me). He wrote that Melanopterus complex (1 of 2 groups of Melanochromis) prey on invertebrates and little fishes (in opportunistic character).

...but, like Thanmos says: "they can all adapt to most foods with varying demand for vegetable food"...it makes sense to me, however, in my oppinion, with a little difference when mbunas are compared to Haps, which have got some "strategies" to capture the prey (Haps need more protein than mbunas) and have adapted body-shapes to this function as well.

Thanmos, thanks for the information about the Ad Konings's Book...this book is a dream to me. Here in my country is not too easy to find it and when we can find it we have to expend a fortune!!! But I'll acquire one...

Inté