The following is an extract from American cichlid association article-



Cichlidically Speaking

By: Claudia Dickinson

As I scurried down the convention hallway, the sounds of jovial laughter and congenial fish talk filled the air, trailing behind me as I came upon the massive lecture room door. Pulling open the huge structure, I slipped over the threshold into a world of darkness whose hush from within was in sharp contrast to the world from whence I had come. In spite of its stillness, one could feel the air was charged with eager attentiveness and expectation. My eyes were caught by the breathtaking image on the screen that filled the room with its radiant beauty. The brilliant hues of rose, orchid, teal and peach of the rising sunset over the shores of the Madagascar coastline pierced through the darkness, arresting the room in spellbound entrancement.

The distinctive and knowledgeable voice of Dr. Paul Loiselle authoritatively held the attention of his audience as our journey began through the cichlid ichthyofauna of this enchanted land. The exquisite beauty of the Paretroplus menarambo or “pinstripe damba” was extraordinary, glowing with its rich tones of blues and steel grays, the fins and emarginate tail perfectly outlined in a brilliant red. A teal iridescence shone across the face as well as dorsal, caudal and anal fins, while tiny black dots formed horizontal rows across the entire body of this fish that once inhabited Lake Sarodrano. When the following slide showed a pair of P. menarambo spawning in an aquarium, I wryly admitted to our good fortune, as this grande prodigy of Madagascar’s fauna is now extinct in its native land, never again to be found in nature.

We traveled onward through northwest Madagascar, where Lake Ravelobe is presently home to the exquisite Paretroplus maculatus, whose future is extremely questionable. This magnificent creature radiates lavish tones of bronzy golds and greens, while reaching an adult total length of 12 inches. A substantial dark lateral blotch is apparent, as well as a red edging of the dorsal and caudal fins. If one is new to the keeping of Madagascar cichlids and is able to resist the immediate desire to locate captive bred specimens of Paretroplus maculatus, Dr. Loiselle’s counsel is to begin with another desirable, smaller Paretroplus from the same Lake Ravelobe, the Pe. kieneri. He then proceeded to introduce us to other exceptionally lovely Paretroplus species such as Pe. damii, Pe. maromandia, the stunning Pe. nourissati and Pe. tsimoly.

The next stop on our journey, the lush and inviting Nosivolo River, is home to the perfect candidate for an aquarium resident from the genus Ptychochromoides. Pe. katria is a very captivating species, with golds and blacks throughout the body, reaching a relatively manageable total length of 8 inches. Another Ptychochromoides, the Pe. vondrozo, shares the distinction of being beautiful as well as critically endangered.

From a conservation aspect, the situation for the genus Ptychochromis is alarming as well, as the critically endangered list grows. Dr. Loiselle showed us the beauty of the Ptychochromis sp. nov./Joba mena which is a most appealing fish of various blues, a deep lyrate tail and sporting a broad red border on the dorsal, caudal and anal fins. He highly recommends this fish for its attractiveness and points out that these, along with Ptychochromis sp. nov./Saro, have been bred in Europe and F2 fry are available.

A galaxy of iridescent jewels, glowing with teal, blue and rose tones, magnificently shimmering from a deep black velvet body fills the screen. Endangered as well, the Paratilapia “small spot” is fortunate to have become a popular aquarium resident that is relatively prolific in hobbyist’s tanks.

In sharp contrast to rivers such as the resplendent Mahanara, the west coast rivers of Betsiboka, Tsiribihina, Mangoky and Onilahy are red with silt that has washed down from massive deforestation by the “slash and burn” agricultural method that is used in the area. It is a shocking s