Copadichromis borleyi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Copadichromis borleyi |
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The Copadichromis borleyi is a type of cichlid fish that lives only in Lake Malawi in East Africa. It's a popular fish for people who enjoy fishkeeping and often kept in aquariums. This fish has many common names, like redfin hap and goldfin hap.
Contents
About the Redfin Hap
The C. borleyi is a fairly small cichlid. Male fish usually grow to be about 13-16 centimeters (5-6 inches) long. Females are a bit smaller, reaching about 13 centimeters.
Male and female C. borleyi look quite different from each other. This is called sexual dimorphism.
- Males have larger bottom fins with special "egg spots." Their top and bottom fins have light-blue edges. Their heads are a shiny metallic blue, and their bodies are yellow to red.
- Females are silver-to-brown and have three black spots along their sides.
Young fish look like the adult females. There are also some differences in color among these fish depending on where they live in Lake Malawi.
Where They Live
The C. borleyi fish can be found all over Lake Malawi, along the coasts of Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. They prefer to live in rocky areas near the shore, where there are many large rocks and boulders.
The water in Lake Malawi is warm, usually between 24 and 29 degrees Celsius (75-84 degrees Fahrenheit). It's also hard water and alkaline, which means it has a lot of minerals and is not acidic. This is normal for Lake Malawi.
What They Eat
These fish mostly eat tiny water creatures called zooplankton. They have a special way of eating: they can quickly stick out their mouths and suck in their food.
Family Tree
This fish was first described in 1960 by a scientist named Thomas Derrick Iles. He named it Haplochromis borleyi. Later, other scientists, David Eccles and Ethylwynn Trewavas, moved it to a different group called Copadichromis.
Sometimes, this fish is also known as Cyrtocara borleyi. You might even see it sold in pet stores under the name Haplochromis granderus. The name borleyi honors H. John H. Borley, who was in charge of Game Fish & Tsetse Control in Nyasaland (which is now Malawi).
How They Have Babies
The C. borleyi is a polygamous fish, meaning one male mates with many females. They are also mouthbrooding fish, which means the mother carries the eggs and young fish in her mouth to protect them.
Male fish often claim areas near or on top of large rocks underwater. They use the flat top surface of these rocks to lay eggs. Some types of C. borleyi even build sand "bowers" (like small nests) on top of large rocks for mating. These fish can breed all year round, so there isn't a specific breeding season.
See also
- List of freshwater aquarium fish species
