'Lamprologus' brevis Kitumba "Orange Belly"

‘Lamprologus’ brevis is a mild tempered, pair-bonding shell dweller. Pairs hold small territories, and will push out other brevis that they deem too close. Males and females usually each have their own shell close to each other, but when spawning and rearing fry, the male will share the female’s shell with her. They darken in color when spawning, and the belly of the female in particular becomes much brighter. When danger approaches, the male will nudge the female back into her shell, and he will slide in behind her. This is a great beginner fish with tons of personality, and one of very few cichlids that is a good candidate for tanks as small as 10 gallons. Full grown males rarely exceed 2 inches, and females are about 1.5 inches as adults.

There are two main color forms of brevis – the sunspot types, and the zebra striped types. The Kitumba population is sort of the bridge between these color forms. They have the bright “sunspot” belly, as well as vertical stripes.