Golden Nyasa Cichlid

COMMON NAME: Golden Nyasa Cichlid.

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Melanochromis auratus.

SYNONYM: Pseudotropheus auratus.

DESIGNATION: Tropical.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Lake Malawi.

SIZE: Around 11 cm 14.3 in).

WATER PREFERENCES: Hard, alkaline water between 22 and 25°C (71.5 and 77°F).

DIET: All foods, which should combine both an animal and a vegetable component.

BREEDING: This is a typical maternal mouth brooder. Eggs are incubated, often under cover, for several weeks and the fry are protected for some time after they emerge.

DESCRIPTION: The males of this beautiful species can be quite aggressive and are only suitable for larger tanks supplied with numerous rock shelters and robust vegetation. The gold color which females possess is largely replaced by dark brown in males, particularly in well-conditioned ones.

Information on Golden Nyasa Cichlid

The golden Nyasa Cichlid is so named at it thrives in the Lake Nyasa. The Lake Nyasa is known for its diversified development of species. The golden nyasa cichlid is actually one among numerous breeds of cichlid that occupy the water of the pool. The following are the reasons that scientists propose for the varied biodiversity of the lake.

• The lake evolved opportunities for speciation due to period increase and decrease of the water level that is quite uncommon in other water bodies of the world.
• The surface of the lake is not as homogeneous as it appears and contains the existence of a varied range of microhabitats.
• The age and the length of the lake also contribute to the evolution of large species of fish.
• The thriving of the cichlids in huge numbers in the lake may be due to the presence of large number of predators. The increase in the number of predators gives rise to the degree of competition among them and gradually leading to the reduction of the number of predators. Large scale availability of food would gradually make the predators genetically weak as well and indirectly help the cichlids to grow in volumes. The condition of genetic drif among the predators due to the change in the shoreline habitat is also responsible for the evolution of large number of cichlids in the water of the Nyasa lake.
• Another possible reason behind the increase in the population of the cichlid is that the development of a highly evolved strategy of reproduction. The fish mouth breeds which can be quite similar to the internal fertilization in mammals. Instead of laying the eggs in an extremely hostile environment the brooding is done inside the mouth of the fish. This helps the eggs to be protected from natural predators. Unlike eggs of other fish the eggs of the Nyasa cichlid are comparatively large in size which results quick growth of the fry and that would be able to survive in a lake waters alone. Since the fish is a shoaling variety the young fish can easily seek refuge inside their mother’s mouth whenever they sense any imminent dangers.