All fish / Cichlidae

Livingstone's mbuna

Maylandia livingstonii

Also known as metriaclima livingstoni, pseudotropheus livingstonii, livingstonii mbuna, zebra livingstoni, maylandia livingstoni, pseudotropheus livingstoni

A small rock-dwelling mbuna from Lake Malawi, related to the zebra cichlids, with males showing pale blue to bronze bodies with faint vertical bars and orange-yellow egg spots on the anal fin. It often lives in empty snail shells and sandy rubble in the wild, and is kept for its lively behaviour and as a smaller, slightly less boisterous member of a rocky Malawi set-up.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.6 to 8.6

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

One male with 3 or more females in a crowded mbuna community

Diet

Omnivore: mostly plant-based foods such as spirulina flakes and pellets, plus some small crustaceans

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi (Likoma and Chizumulu islands, Malawi and Mozambique)

Breeding

A maternal mouthbrooder: the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for around three weeks before releasing them. It breeds readily in hard, alkaline water with plenty of caves, so it is easy to breed in captivity.

Good to know

Males are territorial and fight with similar-looking mbuna, so avoid mixing with close relatives that could hybridise and keep only one male in smaller tanks. Avoid a protein-rich diet, which can trigger Malawi bloat.