African Cichlid – Tanganyikan – Descamp Strange Tooth Cichlid (Ectodus descampsii) 5cm

Ectodus descampsii is a true sand-dweller, and the silvery body is a perfect adaptation to the life over the vast sand-floor where refuges are few; the silvery body reflects the sandy bottom, so it blend well with the light background and makes it difficult for predators to make it out. If a danger suddenly appears, E. descampsii will trust itself into the sand, completely hiding the body for several minutes. This behavior can also be observed under aquarium conditions and makes them quite difficult to catch. I clearly remember the first time I had to move some rocks in an aquarium containing E. descampsii – when my hands hit the water all fish disappeared with an amazing speed and were gone within a second.

Ectodus descampsii are usually found in large schools in shallow water, foraging from the bottom. It feeds on anything it can find in the sand, which is filtered and chewed, but their main diet consists of insect larvae and small crustaceans. It is a maternal mouth-brooder and in the lake males construct large sand-scrape nests in order to attract the attention of females (Konings 1998).

Ectodus descampsii males acquire a black coloration during spawning; the color is under control of the nervous system and may appear and disappear in a couple of seconds, and is brought about by melanocytes that carry the pigment. The water movement in the shallows will produce a constant mist of fine sand-grains that will blur out much of the outlines of the fish living there, and the black coloration makes the males more visible for females in the misty water (Konings 1988).

• Species – Neolamprologus Ectodus descampsii
• Common Name – Descamp, Strange Tooth Cichlid
  
• Origin – Lake Tanganyika in Africa
• Diet – Carnivore
• PH Range – 7.8 – 9
• Temperature – Tropical 26°c – 27°c
• Breed Type – Egg Layer
• Max Size – approximately 10cm
• Sex – Un-sexed