Nyererei Cichlid
Pundamilia nyererei
Cichlidae
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About
Pundamilia nyererei is a small red-and-black haplochromine from the rocky islands of southern Lake Victoria, and it arrives with a history worth stating plainly. The genus on the label is not settled: Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and Seriously Fish use Pundamilia, while FishBase and the GBIF backbone keep the Lake Victoria haplochromines in Haplochromis 'until a new complete taxonomic revision is published', so the same fish reaches you as Haplochromis nyererei about as often. We file it under Pundamilia and keep the other name searchable. The lake held more than 500 cichlid species, almost all endemic, an estimated 300 of them still undescribed. Nile perch were released into the system above Murchison Falls after the Owen Falls Dam was finished in 1954 and stocked into Victoria itself in 1962-63, and Wikipedia's account of the lake reports that 'it is estimated that at least 200 species (about 40 percent) of Lake Victoria haplochromines have become extinct', more than 100 of them never formally described. Others 'have become extinct in their pure form, but survive as hybrids between close relatives'. Some survivors now persist as captive 'insurance' populations in zoos, public aquaria and private tanks, and a few species exist nowhere else. P. nyererei is not one of those, and we would rather report that than dramatise it: FishBase records its IUCN assessment as Least Concern, made on 1 April 2010, and the Cichlid Room Companion gives the same category and year. That is an old assessment for a lake that changed quickly, but it is what the Red List currently says. What the history does explain is why Victorians are a species-tank commitment. Seriously Fish lists at least eleven populations of this single species - Nansio, Ruti, Zue, Makobe, Igombe, Anchor, Python and Luanso islands among them - whose males differ in colour, and notes that the fish 'tend to be labelled with collection details in order to avoid undesirable hybridisation in aquaria'. Mix two islands, or add a second Pundamilia, and the fry are worth nothing to anybody trying to keep a line intact.
Care
One male to three or more females in a tank of 120 x 45 cm - Seriously Fish calls that base 'the smallest considered', roughly 240 L - filled with rockwork that breaks up the sight lines. Males are 'aggressive and fully capable of killing other males if the tank does not contain sufficient cover', and a lone female can be harried to death, so the extra females are not optional. Hard, alkaline water at pH 7.5-8.2 and 23-27 °C. Keep one collection locality and one Pundamilia species: Seriously Fish says to avoid other Pundamilia spp. and not to mix populations. Other Victorian species are possible with care, and Malawi mbuna make workable company. Maternal mouthbrooder - the female carries for about three weeks, so give her cover and feed the group lightly while she does. Seriously Fish gives a maximum standard length of 75-80 mm, the measurement that stops at the tail root, so an adult male with his tail on is around 10 cm.
Diet
Omnivore taking mostly aquatic invertebrates and zooplankton in the wild. Live and frozen Artemia, Daphnia and mosquito larvae should be a good share of the diet, plus some vegetable matter from a quality dried food.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (168)
Possible with care (209)
Avoid (41)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- Extended finsStrong · from about 8 months, and later in a suppressed male
On many cichlids and killifish the male's dorsal and anal fins draw out into trailing points as he matures, while the female's stay rounded.
- VentingA hint only · only on a mature fish, easiest when she is in breeding condition
The method breeders use when the answer has to be right. Hold the fish upside down in a wet hand or soft net and look at the two openings ahead of the anal fin. The forward one is the anus; the one behind it is what you are reading.
- Adult sizeA hint only · only across animals of the same age
In many cichlids, catfish and loaches one sex simply grows larger — usually the male, though there are well-known reversals.
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Nyererei Cichlid need?
- A Nyererei Cichlid needs an aquarium of at least 240 litres (63.4 US gallons) with a footprint at least 120 cm (47.2 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Nyererei Cichlid need?
- Nyererei Cichlid does best at 23–27 °C (73.4–80.6 °F), pH 7–8.5 and a general hardness of 4–15 °dGH.
- What group size does a Nyererei Cichlid need?
- Nyererei Cichlid is a social species — keep a group of at least 4 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Nyererei Cichlid suitable for beginners?
- Nyererei Cichlid sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.