Alcolapia

Alcolapia alcalica in Berlin Aquarium, top left, mouth brooding females with billowing floor of the mouth.

Alcolapia, also called the German Sodacichliden, a genus of fish belonging to the family of cichlids is ( Cichlidae ). It comes in East Africa ( Kenya & Tanzania ) are present in the soda lakes Magadi, Lake Nakuru and Lake Natron. The scientific name comes from the Greek ( " alcalicus " ) and was awarded because of the highly alkaline pH of the home waters.

Features

Alcolapia species have a typical cichlid shape and are 6-20 cm long. The dorsal fin of the animals is supported 9-14 spines and 10-15 soft rays. The number of spines in the anal fin is 3 and the soft rays 9 to 11 The number of vertebrae is 27 - 30 females are bright and shimmering golden, males are darker with some light blue edges. The lower lips are enlarged and contrasting color.

Way of life

Alcolapia species occur exclusively in the East African soda lakes and flowing rivers and streams. The water is extremely alkaline (up to pH 10.5 ) and also very warm, sometimes above 30 ° C, hot springs well above 40 ° C. These zones are shunned or swum fast. The Sodacichliden feed mainly on algae, including the " blue-green algae ," spirulina, actually a cyanobacterium. They also eat insects that have fallen onto the water surface and copepods. Like many other African cichlids are mouth brooders. The female takes over the mouth brood care, lays only a few eggs.

Species

• Alcolapia alcalica ( Hilgendorf, 1905)
• Alcolapia grahami ( Boulenger, 1912)
• Alcolapia latilabris ( Seegers & Tichy, 1999)
• Alcolapia ndalalani ( Seegers & Tichy, 1999)