Zebra Obliquidens – Astatotilapia latifasciata – Juvenile

This beautiful cichlid from the Lake Victoria region features a silver body with wide, black, triangle-shaped markings along the dorsal half. Dominant males will develop a bright red patch on the belly, and a yellow area towards the tail. Females may have varying amounts of yellow coloration. The region from which these fish derive is disappearing rapidly. Soon, these fish may only be found in aquaria.

Malawian 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 \