Care
The Zebra Obliquidens cichlid is endemic to Lake Kyoga and the much smaller neighbouring Lake Nawampasa in central Uganda. The Victoria Nile flows through Lake Kyoga on its way from the northern shore of Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. Lake Kyoga is relatively shallow (less than 6m deep) and is characterised by a thick covering of water lilies in areas that are less than 3m deep. The swampy shoreline has dense papyrus and water hyacinth growth, and is the preferred habitat of this species. The aquarium should be at least 4ft long and aquascaped with rocky outcrops and areas of dense planting using hardy species such as Anubias or Vallisneria (the latter of which should be encouraged to grow long and trail across the water's surface to provide cover). Decor such as ocean rock can be used to build a few sturdy structures which stretch from the base of the tank to near the surface of the water. These structures should be built with the purpose of creating many crevices for the fish to explore but constructed in such a way so as to keep the rocks stable if the fish start to dig around and underneath them. A substrate of coral sand or Aragonite will assist in keeping the water hard and alkaline. Filtration should be efficient, with moderate water flow and a good level of oxygenation. Regular partial water changes will help keep nitrate to a minimum. The Zebra Obliquidens is not overly aggressive and should be kept in groups of 6 or more, ideally with 2 or more females to every male. Suitable tankmates could include some of the more easy going mbuna or peacocks from Lake Malawi, but do research individual species thoroughly to ensure compatibility. This species is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN redlist for threatened species, due to habitat degradation as a result of deforestation in the surrounding areas. Zebra Obliquidens are bred on a commercial basis for the aquarium trade, and are thought to be widely distributed amongst hobbyists.
Feeding
Offer a variety of small meaty frozen foods such as bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, daphnia, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp, and Mysis shrimp, along with flake and small pellet foods.
Breeding
This species has been bred in the home aquarium. When ready to spawn, the colouration of the male will intensify and his aggression level will heighten. He will choose and clean a spawning site, then display to the female fish until one accepts him. He can be rather aggressive in pursuit of a female, so spawning should always be attempted in a harem situation where the male is outnumbered by females and aggression is dispersed amongst the group. When a female is receptive, the pair will circle each other in a head to tail manner a number of times, until the female deposits her eggs. These are deposited just one or two at a time and after doing so, she immediately turns around and picks them up. At the same time, the male will rotate so that he is almost on his side, at the same time shaking and extending his anal fin, releasing his milt. The female sees the egg spots on the male's anal fin and attempts to pick up those "eggs" whilst she is picking up the real ones that she deposited, and at the same time taking in milt. This is the method of fertilisation, and this ritual may go on for some time until the female is spent of eggs. She will incubate the eggs in her mouth for up to 3 weeks before releasing free-swimming fry, which can immediately be offered baby brineshrimp (Artemia nauplii) and crushed flake food. This is a fairly prolific species, with broods of 60- 80 not uncommon. The female will guard the young for up to 2 months after release, so they are usually safe to remain in the aquarium with the adults.
