''Neolamprologus brichardi'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

cichlid 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 this ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the alkaline waters of

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. ...

in East Africa. It is a popular

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

fish kept in the

fishkeeping Fishkeeping is a popular hobby, practiced by aquarists, concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a piscicultural fishkeeping industry, serving as a branch of agriculture. Origins of fishkeeping Fish have ...

hobby, where it is known under a variety of

common names In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...

including Princess cichlid, Princess of Burundi, Lyretail cichlid, Fairy cichlid and Brichard's lamprologus.Axelrod HR, Vorderwinkler W (1995) ''Encyclopedia of tropical fishes''. 30th edition. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, USA. In addition, the species is also the subject of numerous studies on fish behaviour. It is closely related to '' N. pulcher'' from the southern half of Lake Tanganyika (''N. brichardi'' is more widespread) and some have recommended merging the two into a single species.Duftner; Sefc; Koblmüller; Taborsky; and Sturmbauer (2007). Parallel evolution of facial stripe patterns in the Neolamprologus brichardi/pulcher species complex endemic to Lake Tanganyika. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45: 706–715.

Behaviour

''N. brichardi'' is notable in a number of ways. This fish is a substrate spawner (lays eggs on a substrate), utilizing the rocky rubble to do so. It is one of the few substrate-spawning cichlid that also schools. It is not unheard of to find a school numbering near 100,000 individuals within a square area. It is one of the few fish in Africa that utilizes a collective nursery. This means that adults, sub-adults, and even half-grown fry all participate in a multi-generational rearing of the fry. ''N. brichardi'' individuals not only care for their own fry but also the fry of those around them, all while keeping vigil over other adults still actively spawning. This is similar to the cooperative breeding system of a related species of cichlid, '' N. pulcher'', in that ''N. pulcher'' individuals will care for the offspring of others. ''N. brichardi'' specializes in feeding from the rocky biocover, picking at small crustaceans and invertebrates. It will also feed on swarms of plankton when available. Neolamprologus brichardi young

Etymology

The specific name honours Pierre Brichard (1921-1990), an aquarium fish exporter based near Lake Tanganyika.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q134930 brichardi Fish of Africa Fish described in 1974 Taxa named by Max Poll

Behaviour

Etymology

See also

References