Taiwan Reef – Protomelas steveni – Juvenile

This Protomelas steveni strain originates from Taiwan Reef in the middle of Lake Malawi. Dominant males feature brilliant blue coloration on the head and back, accented with yellow flanks and belly and a red anal fin. A white blaze adorns the forehead and stretches into the dorsal fin. Females and juveniles are silver. A selectively bred albino variant features muted pastel coloration and red eyes on males, and pale yellow-orange juveniles and females. These colorful Protomelas are often confused with the Peacock cichlids from genus Aulonocara. \r\n

\r\nMalawian and Victorian cichlids are similar in care and temperament, leading to fish from these two lakes being grouped together in the hobby. Several hundreds species of cichlid are found in Lake Malawi, along with many regional variations, but Lake Victoria has far fewer due to the introduction of invasive predators. Most cichlids in both lakes are rock-dwellers. They seldom stray far from the rocky bottoms and sides of the lake and will quickly dart into the rocks to hide. As with all cichlids, they are very territorial and will not tolerate other cichlids around their crevice. \r\n

\r\nTwo of the most popular groups of these cichlids are the Peacocks (mostly the Aulonocara genus) and Mbuna’s (native term for rock fish and including the genera Pseudotropheus, Labidochromis, Maylandia, Melanochromis and others). While aggression and compatibility can vary from species to species, mixing Mbuna and Peacock cichlids is not usually recommended. Mbuna cichlids tend to be more aggressive and may bully the usually more passive Peacocks but some Mbuna cichlids are far more aggressive than others. Several other groups of cichlids can also be found from these lakes, some of which can be large and aggressive predators; research all choices carefully.\r\n

\r\nDecor for a Malawi/Victoria aquarium should be very rocky. Rock \