''Chalinochromis brichardi'' is a species of fish in the family

Cichlidae Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted thi ...

. It is found in

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili language, Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French language, French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the ...

, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, and Zambia. It is endemic to

Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika () is an African Great Lake. It is the second-oldest freshwater lake in the world, the second-largest by volume, and the second-deepest, in all cases after Lake Baikal in Siberia. It is the world's longest freshwater lake. ...

. It builds a nest of rubble which is hidden by plants or algae, and its diet consists primarily of invertebrates. The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

of this fish honours the fish dealer

Pierre Brichard Pierre Brichard (2 October 1921 – 1990) was a Belgian explorer and collector-exporter of African aquarium fishes, especially those of Lake Tanganyika. Discoveries He discovered new fish species by traveling to different regions of the lake a ...

(1921-1990), who was the collector of the

type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...

Description

Adult specimens average a length of approximately 8.9 cm (3.5 inches), but larger specimens up to 14 cm (5.5 inches) have been recorded in captivity. ''C. brichardi'' lacks any body striping as an adult, only possessing barring around the facial region, which differentiates it from other ''Chalinochromis.'' Juvenile C

However, their markings change dramatically as they mature from juveniles to adult fish; as juveniles they display barring all along their body, much like other members of its genus, but this disappears as they mature with the exception of the black barring around the head.

In the aquarium trade

''Chalinochromis brichardi'' is found very rarely in the aquarium trade.

Food

Wild specimens feed on small crustaceans, insect larvae, and other live food that live in the aufwuchs. In eating this food, they also ingest sediment algae and sand. In the aquarium they have an adaptable palette and can be sustained on mysis shrimp, krill, flakes, pellets, mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, et cetera.

Tank parameters

''Chalinochromis brichardi'' thrives in water with a pH of at least 8.2, preferably within the range of 8.5-8.7, and requires relatively to extremely hard water to survive. They require a minimum tank size of 114 liters (30 gallons). They prefer a rocky habitat with ample caves to spawn in. Due to their aggressive nature, it is not recommended to house this fish with any other species other than unobtrusive bottom feeders.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3318783 Chalinochromis Taxa named by Max Poll Fish described in 1974 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot