Black Ocellatus

About

Found only in the southwestern corner of Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lamprologus speciosus is a dwarf shelldweller with a personality far larger than its small frame suggests. In the wild it inhabits sandy lake-bottom zones scattered with snail shells, which it buries so only the entrance remains exposed. These shells serve as shelter, spawning sites, and the heart of each fish's fiercely defended territory. It feeds primarily on insect larvae and shares its habitat with Lamprologus stappersi. In the aquarium it behaves much like its close relative L. ocellatus, which it so closely resembles that it sometimes turns up in the trade under the name 'black ocellatus'. Despite its aggression toward its own kind, it can coexist peacefully with fish that occupy different parts of the tank. Rock-dwelling cichlids like Neolamprologus brichardi or open-water species such as Cyprichromis are sensible choices. Keeping a colony works well provided there are plenty of shells to go around and females outnumber males. Breeding is a genuine highlight: females perform most of the brooding work inside the shell, and with a well-set-up aquarium spawning happens readily. This is an intermediate-level species that rewards anyone willing to cater to its need for hard, alkaline water and a shell-strewn sandy substrate.