All fish / Cichlidae

Kenyi Cichlid

Maylandia lombardoi

Also known as kenyi, kenyi mbuna, lombardoi mbuna, pseudotropheus lombardoi, metriaclima lombardoi, kenyi cichild, lombardo's mbuna, ปลาหมอเคนยิ, シュードトロフェウス・ロンバルドイ, 肯尼亚公主, 黄金公主

A rock-dwelling mbuna from Lake Malawi with an unusual colour reversal: females and young are pale blue with dark bars, while mature males turn bright yellow with faint bars. It is kept for its strong colours and lively behaviour in rocky African cichlid setups.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

12 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.6 to 8.6

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

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

Diet

Herbivore: algae, spirulina flakes and pellets, blanched vegetables, occasional small crustaceans

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi (Mbenji Islands and Nakantenga Island), Malawi

Breeding

A maternal mouthbrooder; the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for around three weeks. It breeds readily in captivity, provided females have plenty of rockwork to escape a pushy male.

Good to know

One of the most aggressive mbuna, so males should not be kept together in small tanks and it should be overstocked with other robust mbuna to spread aggression. It hybridises easily with other Maylandia species, so avoid similar-looking blue barred mbuna.