Archivarium 2004

[LittleMousling]

Male:


Female with fry:

Pair:

(I have larger versions of most of these photos; these were changed to fit the 640x640 rule) (Also, I have a billion other photos of the species if there's any need for others/more, some are up at http://www.finsout.com/photos/stappersi.html)

Name: 'Lamprologus' stappersi

Origin: Lake Tanganyika, Africa

Size: 6 cm

Tank: 80l

pH: 7.6-9.0

Temp: 26 C

One of the difficulties of this species is its ever-changing nomenclature. More commonly known as Lamprologus meleagris, the debate on which is the correct synonym - or if, indeed, they are separate species - rages on. At this point stappersi is viewed as correct, but the genus poses another problem - according to a number of ichthyologists, "Lamprologus" should not be used for Tanganyikans. Given the confusion, it's no wonder the common name is gaining popularity - the Pearly Ocellatus.

As the name implies, stappersi is part of the ocellatus subgroup of shelldwellers, along with L. speciosus, the Black Ocellatus, and a few lesser-known fish. They have the shape and some of the attitude of "occies," but are rather more subdued. While they can be kept in Tanganyikan communities many owners have found that, unlike the aggressive, robust occies, they may be excessively stressed by active tankmates, even non-threatening ones like danios. Any stappersi kept in community tanks should be watched for stress coloration, excessive hiding, and particularly any unusual slimming.

Sexing is difficult. Among fish of the same age males are noticeably larger and often the spots in their tails form more recognizable stripes, but for the experienced stappersi keeper, the face is a much more obvious giveaway. The female's face is shorter, her face steeper, and her mouth smaller; the males have a larger, bulldoggy head. Coloring should be ignored; when riled, females can be as colorful or more so than males, and subdominant males are paler than accepted females.

The species can be kept as a pair or harem; however, single pairs cannot always be kept alone, as the male may injure the female with no other outlets for his aggression. And, the female may endanger the male when she's protecting a brood. A better setup would include either additional females to form a harem, or a similarly-sized male to distract both members of the pair. Plenty of room should be allowed for territory; a 30

[LittleMousling]

No dissent from the peanut gallery, looks like. So, READY, then.
_________________
-Molly
Finsout.com! Shelldwellers.com!

[Marcos Avila]

Done...thanks Molly! Those are absolutely awesome pics, and you're not just a great photographer, but one hell of a "profiler"

Indeed there's a lot of debate around the net regarding this (these) species. Fishbase lists them as clearly separate species, they even cite the stappersi habitat as the Sambala River in Tanzania instead of Lake Tanganyika, but I'll leave it as an open issue for now here on the site.
_________________
Are you a Fish-HAVER or a Fish-KEEPER?
Success with a fish/tank is measured in YEARS, not months or weeks...

[LittleMousling]

Yes, I'd seen that. Honestly, in this case there's such a strong sentiment of disagreement with Fishbase that for once I think they're off (eek! The blasphemy!). In any case, if some icthyologist comes out with a definitive answer I promise to keep you posted!
_________________
-Molly
Finsout.com! Shelldwellers.com!