One
of the most commonly kept Tanganyikans is Neolamprologus leleupi.
The appealing color and hardiness of this fish has helped it become
a mainstay in the hobby.
We
have bred three different color morphs of N. leleupi and
found the males to be pretty hard on their mates, as we have lost
two breeding females due to injury.
This
situation doesn’t seem to apply to Neolamprologus longior.
About 4 1/2 years ago we located eight young F1 longior with the
promise that the fish had extraordinary bright yellow coloration.
We
had to pay a premium for the fish and were somewhat skeptical,
but later concluded they were “the real thing”. They
were placed in a 75-gallon aquarium with very little structure.
The fish grew rapidly for Neolamps and I soon concluded there
was only one female among the eight fish. I must have vented each
longior three times trying to “create” another
female, but to no avail.
The
lone female and three of the males were eventually moved into
a 180-gallon community tank with ample structure, and a pair soon
formed. For spawning, they selected a breeding cave made of a
plastic egg which we had acquired at a local auction.
After
spawning regularly for a period, they apparently stopped and haven’t
spawned in at least four months.
Neolamprologus longior, formerly listed in books as Neolamprologus
leleupi longior, differs from leleupi in that it is
a smaller species and, when mature, noticeably more slender in
the body and head. It also seems to be a much more peaceful fish.
The
extra males in our commuity aquarium (about 3.5") frequently
stay in close proximity to the mated pair (female about 2.5")
without much harassment. This would not be the case with leleupi
I have kept.
The
adult longior do have an especially brilliant yellow coloration—brighter
than the leleupi we’ve kept. However, as we’ve never
seen other longior, we don’t know if this coloration
is common to the species, or just to a geographical race. We’ve
seen a picture (Aqualex) of a Kabogo Point longior that
looks identical to ours, but we can’t be certain of the origin
of our longior.
N.
longior is a great fish for hobbyists who have a taste for
something different, but still crave bright colors.
Conveniently, it is a fish which can be kept in tanks of almost
any size and with either a gravel or sand substrate.
Longior doesn’t shy away from open areas of the aquarium,
so extensive rockwork is not a must, but is probably appreciated.
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