Here's a quick overview of its nomenclature history: But both of the names Metriaclima greshakei and Pseudotropheus greshakei are used in some circles. Today Maylandia greshakei is recognized as the valid name for the Pseudotropheus Ice Blue or William's Mbuna. The question brings up a baffling problem that the scientific community has been working to resolve. "What's the deal with the 3 scientific names?" Females and non-breeding males will occur singly or in groups in the open water where they feed on phytoplankton. "Loose" aufwuchs can contain insect larvae, nymphs, crustaceans, snails, mites and zooplankton. Aufwuchs refers to tough stringy algae that is attached to rocks. Males are territorial, protecting caves between the rocks and feeds on the biocover of the rocks known as Aufwuchs. They enjoy depths of around 49 - 115 feet(15 - 35 m) and are commonly found near rocky areas of the reefs where the rocks have a layer of sediment on them. Other common names this fish is known by are William's Mbuna, Ice Blue Zebra Cichlid, Red Top Ice Blue Zebra, Red Top Cobalt, Ice Blue Malawi, Ice Blue Cichlid, Ice Blue Red Top Zebra, Pseudotropheus sp. Although it is endemic to Lake Malawi it has a very restricted range, found in from two restricted locations of Makokola reef and Crocadile reef in the southeastern arm of the lake, but there are no major recognized threats at present. This species is listed on the IUCN Red List as Vulnerable (VU). They occur at two reefs south of Boadzulu Island, Makokola reef and Crocadile reef. They are found in Lake Malawi, Africa and are endemic to Makokola, in what is called the southeast arm area of Lake Malawi. The Pseudotropheus Ice Blue Maylandia greshakei was described by Meyer and Foerster in 1984.
A much larger tank is needed for mixing Mbunas. To house one male and two to three females, a minimum sized tank of 48" long with a lot of hiding places is needed for success. It will quickly adapt to prepared foods and is readily bred if not kept with overly aggressive tank mates. Do not house with fish of the same color and shape though, as the male will look at these others as trespassers and attack them.įor the aquarists who is willing to do frequent water changes and provide appropriate tank mates, the Pseudotropheus Ice Blue is easy to care for. It is not a community tank specimen to be kept with fish other than cichlids, but it can be kept in a tank with similarly tempered Mbunas.
The Pseudotropheus Ice Blue is only moderately aggressive compared to other Mbuna. These two fish have very similar physical and behavioral traits, however the Pseudotropheus Ice Blue has only been found in the southeastern arm of Lake Malawi near Makokola, while the other is from the Mbenji Islands. This cichlid is also sometimes mistaken for its very close relative, the Pseudotropheus "Red Top Zebra Mbenji", which is not yet scientifically described. Yet in the aftermath there are still three scientific names commonly used for this fish in the hobby, including Pseudotropheus greshakei, Maylandia greshakei, and Metriaclima greshakei. After much debate between the naming of this sub-genera Maylandia or Metriaclima, this species is currently considered valid as Maylandia greshakei. In more recent taxonomical revisions the Pseudotropheus genus has been split into three sub-genera with this fish being placed in the sub-genus Pseudotropheus Maylandia.
This name aptly describes the environment these fish live in as opposed to being open water swimmers like the Utaka cichlids and other "haps". The name Mbuna comes from the Tonga people of Malawi and means "rockfish" or "rock-dwelling".
#Red zebra cichlid pregnant full#
There are 13 genera full of very active and aggressive personalities of Mbuna cichlids. This fish is zebra-type member of a group of cichlids called Mbunas. This cichlid may be found as William's Mbuna, Ice Blue Zebra Cichlid, Red Top Ice Blue Zebra, Red Top Cobalt, Ice Blue Malawi, Ice Blue Cichlid, Ice Blue Red Top Zebra, Pseudotropheus sp. It was first described by Meyer and Foerster in 1984 as Pseudotropheus greshakei and then several other common names evolved. Prior to being scientifically described they were sold as the Pseudotropheus "Red Top Ice Blue". This cichlid has been in the hobby since the early 1980's. It makes a great fish to add variety in a Mbuna cichlid Tank. It has a very appealing coloration of an ice blue body contrasted with a bright orange top fin. The Pseudotropheus Ice Blue Maylandia greshakei, also known as William's Mbuna, is a pretty zebra-type cichlid from Lake Malawi, Africa.
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