''Protomelas taeniolatus'' (often sold under various trade names: ''Haplochromis'' red empress, red empress or spindle hap) is a

Haplochromine __NOTOC__ The haplochromine cichlids are a tribe of cichlids in subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae called Haplochromini. This group includes the type genus (''Haplochromis'') plus a number of closely related genera such as '' Aulonocara'', '' Astat ...

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 to

Lake Malawi Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa in Tanzania and Lago Niassa in Mozambique, is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. It is the fifth largest fre ...

Eastern Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historical ...

. The fish is popular in the

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 ...

hobby due to the bright rainbow-like colors of adult males and its relatively peaceful temperament. Juvenile and female ''P. taeniolatus'', like many Haplochromines, do not display bright coloration. The red empress is

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 Lake Malawi and occurs in sediment free, rocky habitats in relatively shallow waters. It mainly feeds on

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

growing on the rock surfaces, but also on a variety of small

invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

s. Males can reach a size of up to TL.

Fin Profile

The Red Emperor Cichlid has an impressive fin profile to help it survive in its natural habitat: its large body is bristling with spiny fins, which it uses to ward off predators and navigate the water. The anal, dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins are long to help the fish move quickly through the water. Moreover, the front of each fin is made softer to compatible with water dynamics to gain maximum speeds.

Home Aquarium

Due to the attractive colors of the male, these fish are used in the freshwater home

to add variety and color. When kept in

captivity Captivity, or being held captive, is a state wherein humans or other animals are confined to a particular space and prevented from leaving or moving freely. An example in humans is imprisonment. Prisoners of war are usually held in captivity by a ...

they usually grow to around 15 cm (6 inches) and should be kept in at least a 55-gallon tank. They prefer a pH level of 8.2 and a temperature of 26-28 °C (82.4 °F).

Territory

The ''Protomelas taeniolatus'' is generally a peaceful fish until breeding time. At this time the male will guard quite a large amount of territory and chase away any fish that enters his 'lair'. The males are mostly aggressive to each other unless in a large area of water. When the breeding time is over he will, again, allow any fish to enter his territory and will not guard it

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3754342 taeniolatus Fish described in 1935

Fin Profile

Home Aquarium

Territory

See also

References