All fish / Cichlidae

Bumblebee Cichlid

Pseudotropheus crabro

Also known as bumblebee mbuna, hornet cichlid, chameleon cichlid, pseudotropheus chameleo, bumble bee cichlid, crabro, หมาป่าผึ้ง, シュードトロフェウス・クラブロ, bumblebee, 黄蜂鲷, 大黄蜂

A stocky mbuna with bold yellow and black vertical bars, while dominant males can darken to almost entirely black within moments. In the wild it lives around rocks and caves and is known for cleaning parasites off large catfish and raiding their eggs. Keepers like it for its striking colour changes and lively character.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.6 to 8.6

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

One male with several females in a crowded mbuna community

Diet

Omnivore: quality cichlid pellets, spirulina flakes, frozen mysis and brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania)

Breeding

A maternal mouthbrooder; the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for about three weeks. It breeds readily in a well set up Malawi tank, and holding females can be moved to a separate tank to raise the fry safely.

Good to know

Adults become very aggressive and territorial, so give plenty of rockwork and avoid mixing with timid fish or similar barred mbuna. It needs hard, alkaline water and a large tank.