Electric blue hap
Species of fish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The electric blue hap (Sciaenochromis ahli) is a species of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Malawi. It prefers to live in caves and crevices in rocky substrates. This species can reach a length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in) TL. It can occasionally be found in the aquarium trade.[2]
| Electric blue hap | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Genus: | Sciaenochromis |
| Species: | S. ahli |
| Binomial name | |
| Sciaenochromis ahli (Trewavas, 1935) | |
| Synonyms | |
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In the aquarium
Although it occasionally appears in the trade, the true electric blue hap (Sciaenochromis ahli) is rarely imported for aquaria; most fish sold under that common name belong to the related species Sciaenochromis fryeri.[3][4][5] It should be kept in tanks of no less than 150 litres. A semi-aggressive fish, only one male is recommended per tank; however if large numbers are kept in a spacious enough environment, it is possible to keep more than one. Tank mates must be selected carefully. Large numbers prevent a single fish from being the target of aggression. The females are a drab grey in comparison and slightly smaller.[6] They prefer rocky exhibits with coral sand.
Breeding
As with many other cichlids, the electric blue hap is a mouth-brooder. The recommended ratio of males to females is 1:4. The female broods for 2–3 weeks. When the fry are released, they are around 1 cm.[7]
Etymology
The specific name of this fish honours the German zoologist Ernst Ahl (1898-1945) who originally described this species in 1926 as Haplochromis serranoides but this name had already been used by Charles Tate Regan in 1922, although Regan's name is a synonym of Haplochromis spekii.[8]
![Stub icon](#/media/File:Labidochromis_sp_"hongi".jpg){kind=small}