Placidochromis sp. “Jalo”
Placidochromis sp. “Jalo” is a species not yet officially described. The genus name Placidochromis can be broken into two parts. “Placidus” means “quiet” or “calm”; a reference to the preference for quiet and calm water of most species within this genus. The second part is “chromis.” An ancient name for colorful cichlids once thought to be related to the colorful damselfishes and wrasses of the sea. The temporary designation “Jalo” is a reference to the location of origin Jalo Reef.
Previously thought to be a variant of Otopharnyx heterodon. However, in terms of morphology and behavior, they are much more similar to Plachidochromis sp. Blue Otter and are therefore classified in the Placidochromis genus.
Description
In the wild, the Placidochromis sp. “Jalo” male grows to about 12 centimeters. The female remains somewhat smaller at 9 centimeters. In the aquarium, they can grow somewhat larger. This is because we feed them more and more powerful food than they get in nature.
An adult male on color has a brilliant metallic green color. The body is dark blue with a number of black vertical stripes on it. The upper edge of the dorsal fin is trimmed with a number of thin lines, from inside to outside they are black, white, yellow. The posterior part of the dorsal fin, the caudal fin and the anal fin have yellowish spots. The anal fin also shows distinct egg spots.
The females are not as nicely colored as the males. They have a gray/brown color.
Juveniles have three black spots on their flank , the first in the middle and the last on the tail root. These black spots disappear as they grow up, about when they reach a length of 5 centimeters.
Biotope
This species inhabits the transition zone from rocks to sand. Usually at a depth of 10 to 20 meters.
Its range is very small. They are only found around Jalo Reef.
This species is similar in behavior to the Placidochromis sp. “Blue Otter”, both feed on food animals in the sediment and are attracted by drifting debris. The males are found together with the females in groups while foraging, even males in breeding color and breeding females. It is therefore suspected that this species is not territorial.
Diet
In Lake Malawi, they feed mainly by flushing sediment from the rocks and bottom through their gills.
It is an opportunistic eater attracted to windblown sand. In doing so, they follow other, large, fish looking for their food in the sand. Placidochromis sp. “Jalo” makes good use of this by following them and taking food particles from the windblown sand himself.
In the aquarium, it is not a picky eater. Give them varied food which can include live or frozen black and white mosquito larvae, artemia, water fleas, shrimp and mysis. Supplement this with spirulina flakes, flake food and granules.
The Aquarium
For a group of two males and four or five females, you will need an aquarium about 150 centimeters in length. Set up the aquarium with (filter) sand on the bottom. Build a few carefully stacked piles of rocks. Between these, make burrows, cracks and crevices. Between these, the females can escape the attention of the males if the latter pursue them for too long.
Water parameters
For the aquarium water, you can maintain a temperature of about 22 to 26 degrees Celsius. The pH is preferably between 7.5 and 8.5.
Breeding aquarium and conditioning
Breeding Placidochromis sp.”Jalo” is not too difficult. Most Malawi cichlids are capable of reproducing in a mixed aquarium. So you don’t need a separate breeding aquarium. Just make sure the aquarium is set up correctly. That is, with sand on the bottom and a few rocks so that the male can find a suitable place in the sand and against a rock .
The spawn
The man makes a shallow pit near a rock. Here he tries to lure one of the females to it. As soon as he notices that one of the females is ready to deposit eggs, the mating dance begins. As soon as the female approaches his chosen spot, he starts swimming in front of her. He shows his most beautiful colors, puts on his fins and with short trilling movements he shows how beautiful he is.
When the female is ready, she follows the male. They circle around each other, just above the sand. After a while, while circling , the female lays a few eggs. The couple rotates further with the male fertilizing the eggs and the female taking the eggs in her mouth.
Raising the fry
The female incubates the eggs in her mouth. An experienced female can lay about 40 to 50 eggs. Although the eggs hatch after a few days, the young remain in her mouth. They then live on their egg yolk sac. Only three weeks after egg deposition, the young fish leave their mother’s mouth.
In an aquarium with several adult cichlids, they will eat most of the young fish. If you want to keep more juveniles, you can remove the female after 15 days. Place her in an aquarium with approximately equivalent water values. Provide some sand on the bottom and a place for her to hide. Once she spits out the young she does not eat them immediately. Catch the female as soon as she has released the young and place her back in the aqu arium.
You can feed the young Placidochromis sp.”Jalo” with freshly hatched artemia and finely rubbed flake food. Apparently the young are a bit more sensitive to fluctuations in water values than most Malawi cichlids. Therefore , change small amounts of water regularly. It also helps to make sure that no food is left lying around. Feed them small amounts at a time and make sure all the food is eaten.
Conclusion
Placidochromis sp. “Jalo” is a very nice Malawi cichlid. Keep them together with other quiet and more peaceful species. Rearing young fish is a little more difficult but with some attention to water quality certainly doable.
Video
Author
John de Lange
Copyright images
Malawi’s Unlimited
Markus Bredehöft
References
NVCweb
Cicklid.org
Malawi Cichliden in hun natuurlijke omgeving 3e oplage – Ad Konings
Back to Nature – Malawi Cichliden – Ad Konings
