All fish / Cichlidae

Neolamprologus prochilus

Neolamprologus prochilus

Also known as lamprologus prochilus, prochilus cichlid

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This is a rarely seen lamprologine cichlid with drab brownish colouring. It reaches about 17 cm in total length and spends almost all its time hidden inside dark caves and crevices among deep rocks. Specialist Tanganyika keepers want it because it is unusual and seldom exported, not because it is colourful.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

14 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

7.8 to 9

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Single pair, or one fish per tank

Diet

Carnivore: frozen mysis, krill, brine shrimp and quality sinking cichlid pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Endemic to southern Lake Tanganyika, Zambia (Mpulungu area)

Breeding

It spawns in caves, and the pair guards the eggs and fry, as other cave-brooding lamprologines do. Captive breeding is rarely reported because so few fish are available, and the main difficulty is finding a compatible pair.

Good to know

It is secretive and very territorial around its caves, so give it plenty of rockwork and only house it with robust Tanganyika fish. It has a very small known range and is rare in the hobby, so wild-caught fish may be misidentified lamprologines.