A Few of My Madagascans

[notho2000]

I've been keeping cichlids from Madagascar for some years now, after having become fascinated with them in the mid-90s when I brought home six young 'polleni' from the ACA convention in Chicago in 1997. The last of those 'polleni' died in 2009. More recently, I've made a concerted effort to obtain a number of different species, with the idea of trying to successfully maintain, spawn and rear the young. The Madagascans are a very rewarding group of fishes with their own set of quirks that set them apart from their CA and SA counterparts. Here are a few of my Madagascar cichlids, some with eggs or young or "just hangin' out'.
-Jim

[Piotr Koba]

Great
It is difficult (if possible at all) to say which species is the most beautiful, I guess even you might have probs to specify the "one". They are so similar to species of the CA and in the same way they are such different creatures. I always enjoy your vids, cos even here you don't see Malagasy cichlids too often. I wish more people kept them - some of them are quite very prolific, but large, so that they suffer from similar lack of popularity as Centrals do.

BTW, is anyone keeping Oxylapia in the US a.t.m.? I remember them being fairly aggressive, so I wonder if anyone succeeded in spawning them. But I guess the answer is no, as if it had been official, it would have featured as a well known article in the CN

[Mark Smith]

What species of Ptychochromis are depicted in the last photo?

[notho2000]

What species of Ptychochromis are depicted in the last photo?

They are Ptychochromis grandidieri 'East Coast Gold'.

[Mark Smith]

Thanks Jim. I've not seen them before with this much yellow coloration. Very beautiful. All of them are, for that matter. Good to see you spawning P. maculatus too!

[smitty]

Jim you have taken me a place I hardly ever venture into. But I am blown away by the beauty of them. Definitely have peaked my interest.

[notho2000]

Thanks Jim. I've not seen them before with this much yellow coloration. Very beautiful. All of them are, for that matter. Good to see you spawning P. maculatus too!

When they are not in their breeding dress, they are a deep green-bronze color. Not unattractive, but no where near as attractive as the 'gold' phase, which is pretty spectacular.

Jim you have taken me a place I hardly ever venture into. But I am blown away by the beauty of them. Definitely have peaked my interest.

Thanks Smitty. They are something pretty special. I just wish there was a way of getting some to you. Do they ever show up in your area? Hope so. And I know some of the online vendors carry them periodically. Watch out though. The Malagasy "bug" bites hard!! lol
-Jim

[notho2000]

*

[notho2000]

Great
It is difficult (if possible at all) to say which species is the most beautiful, I guess even you might have probs to specify the "one". They are so similar to species of the CA and in the same way they are such different creatures. I always enjoy your vids, cos even here you don't see Malagasy cichlids too often. I wish more people kept them - some of them are quite very prolific, but large, so that they suffer from similar lack of popularity as Centrals do.

Each has its own special beauty. I find that the Malagasy cichlids don't have the advocacy that the CAs and (mainland)Africans do. The fish forums tend to be filled with lots of content about the big Centrals and South Americans or the specialty fishes (Discus, wild Angels, plecos). Madagascan fishes are definitely "flying under most peoples' radar".

[notho2000]

Here's a couple of pics of another Malagasy cichlid species that I have. I didn't forget about it - - I just didn't think I'd get a half decent picture of them.They are Paretroplus petiti (or dambabe?). I purchased them as 'petiti.' As you can see, it's a greyish fish with blue highlights and scattering of red scales on the sides that comes and goes with mood changes of the fish. I started with four but suddenly lost two (for no explainable reason). I hope the last two are a pair.
-Jim

petti3.jpg (23.6 KiB) Viewed 1415 times

[smitty]

Jim what is that fish in the 3rd picture.

[Mark Smith]

Paretroplus menerambo

[Florent]

Paretroplus menerambo

but this one is Paretoplus dambabe

[notho2000]

Florent, is there such a species as 'petiti' then? Also,is the pic below also 'dambabe'?

[Michael.NEGRINI]

Yes, it is Paretroplus dambabe.
Fishes sold as 'P. petiti' are P. dambabe, and many publications refer to the grey Paretroplus with red spot from Lake Kinkony as P. petiti.
The real P. petiti (holotype) is very close to or may be a synonym of P. menarambo.

[dogofwar]

I also have three dambabe (purchased 2/3 as "petiti").

Wonderful fish...but they can be nasty!

Matt

[BSDGFD]

Here's a couple of pics of another Malagasy cichlid species that I have. I didn't forget about it - - I just didn't think I'd get a half decent picture of them.They are Paretroplus petiti (or dambabe?). I purchased them as 'petiti.' As you can see, it's a greyish fish with blue highlights and scattering of red scales on the sides that comes and goes with mood changes of the fish. I started with four but suddenly lost two (for no explainable reason). I hope the last two are a pair.
-Jim

petiti1.jpg

petti3.jpg

What species of Ptychochromis are depicted in the last photo?

[notho2000]

What species of Ptychochromis are depicted in the last photo?

They are a breeding pair of Ptychochromis grandidieri 'East Coast Gold'.

[ciclasoman]

Hi Jim:
Paretroplus dambabe is commonly mislabeled petiti, a fish that has not been collected since it was described and quite likely extinct or confused for dambabe, in other words is petiti the same as dambabe?


Here is another pic, my fish breed constantly, these guys are about 8 years old

[ciclasoman]

This is a picture of a nice adult Paretroplus damii, it has spawned with a female dambabe though the eggs were not fertilized. I had a group of 7 and unfortunately due to a filter issue, I lost all but this guy. I hope to get a second chance this winter.