Dogtooth Cichlid

Distribution:
   The Dogtooth Cichlid was described by Günther in 1894. They are found in Lake Malawi, Africa in the northern and central parts of the lake. They inhabit the upper parts of the waters in rocky areas away from the substrate where they feed on zooplankton and Aufwuchs. Aufwuchs refers to tough stringy algae that is attached to rocks. “Loose” Aufwuchs can contain insect larvae, nymphs, crustaceans, snails, mites and zooplankton. Males tend to feed mostly from the rocks near their home.

Status:
   This species is listed on the IUCN Red List, but with the status of 'LC', meaning 'Least Concern'.

Description:
  The Dogtooth Cichlid Cynotilapia afra is very similar to the Melanochromis species, except for their teeth. The Dogtooth Cichlid's teeth are unicuspid while the Melanochromis have bicuspid teeth, thus setting them apart. 'Cyno' means dog in latin, which is what refers to their teeth
   There are many color varieties and basically they can be lavender, blue, light blue, yellow and everything in between. They have different coloring on the top band of their dorsal, depending on the color morph. Their vertical bars come and go depending on mood and some variations of color have more bars than others. The males of most color morphs have the ability to turn their head and back an intense yellow gold coloring, but even then the amount of gold coloring that appears depends on mood. Females are drabber and also have the ability to lose or show their vertical bars. Some Dogtooth Cichlid females in certain color morphs are just as spectacular as the males, such as the 'Mbweca' female. Juveniles are similar to females. Lake Malawi fish live an average of 7 to 10 years.
   All cichlids share a common feature that some saltwater fish such as wrasses and parrotfish have and that is a well-developed pharyngeal set of teeth that are in the throat, along with their regular teeth. Cichlids have spiny rays in the back parts of the anal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins to help discourage predators. The front part of these fins are soft and perfect for precise positions and effortless movements in the water as opposed to fast swimming.
   Cichlids have one nostril on each side while other fish have 2 sets. To sense “smells” in the water, they suck water in and expel the water right back out after being “sampled” for a short or longer time, depending on how much the cichlid needs to “smell” the water. This feature is shared by saltwater damselfish and cichlids are thought to be closely related.

Size - Weight:
   These fish grow to a length of 3.9 inches (10 cm), sometimes larger in home aquaria.

Care and feeding:
   The Dogtooth Cichlid is an omnivore that will accept frozen or live brine shrimp, mysis, high quality flake, pellets, spirulina, and other preparations for omnivore cichlids. It is always better to feed them small amounts several times a day instead of one large feeding. This keeps the water quality higher for a longer period of time. Of course, all fish benefit from added vitamins and supplements to their foods. They will eat to the point of their stomach being distended, so be very careful to not overfeed.
   A minimum 26 gallons for a pair and 55 gallons for a harem, Larger tanks if kept with other compatible Lake Malawi cichlids. They do fine in either freshwater or brackish freshwater but need good water movement along with very strong and efficient filtration. A crushed coral substrate can help keep the PH up. They will enjoy piles of rocks that are stabilized on the bottom glass of the tank.
   Malawi Cichlids will deteriorate under poor water conditions. As these are messy fish, do water changes of 20 to 50% a week depending on bio load. Malawi bloat is a typical disease especially if their mostly herbivorous dietary needs are not met with quality foods. They can contract other diseases that ail all freshwater fish.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   The streams that flow into Lake Malawi have a high mineral content. This along with evaporation has resulted in alkaline water that is highly mineralized. Lake Malawi is known for its clarity and stability as far as PH and other water chemistries. It is easy to see why it is important to watch tank parameters with all Lake Malawi fishes. A higher PH means that ammonia is more lethal, so water changes are a must for these fish.
   These numbers are based on Lake Malawi’s statistics. A very slow acclimation to different PH levels can sometimes be achieved.
   Hardness: 6 - 10° dH
   Ph: 7.7 to 8.6
   Temp: 73 - 82° F (23 -28° C)

Social Behaviors:
   This fish is not considered to be a community fish. The Dogtooth Cichlid is not overly aggressive if it has plenty of room. It can be kept with Malawi Cichlids of similar size or larger, though larger fish shouldn’t be aggressive. It can also be kept with other less aggressive cichlids from Malawi that are not similar in coloring/shape. Aggressive large cichlids will cause the colors to be faded with the Dogtooth Cichlid.
   The Dogtooth Cichlid is best kept in groups of one male and 3 females. If overstocking is used as a form of aggression reduction, care should be taken to do several partial water changes a week. They are also aggressive towards similar looking males of a different species.To avoid hybridization, do not mix species.

Sexual Differences:
   Females are usually more drab. Males are much more colorful with egg spots on the anal fin.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Dogtooth Cichlid has been bred in captivity. The male is ready to breed at 6 to 8 months. The Dogtooth Cichlid females lay 10 to 20 eggs and then immediately take them into their mouths before they are fertilized. The male flares out his anal fin, which has “egg spot patterning” so the female mistakes the eggs spots on the male’s anal fin as her own eggs and tries to take them in her mouth as well. In doing so, she then stimulates the male to discharge sperm (milt cloud) and inhales the cloud of “milt” which then fertilize the eggs in her mouth.
   In 14 to 21 days at about 82° F, the eggs are developed. The released fry can eat finely powdered dry foods and brine shrimp nauplii. The female will guard her young for a few days, even taking them into her mouth if there is a perceived threat. As long as you have plenty of hiding places, your young will have an easier time surviving until they are too big to eat. See the description of how cichlids breed in Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:
   The Dogtooth Cichlids are sometimes found online for around $8.00 to $20.00 USD. Prices vary depending on whether they are male, female, or juvenile, and on location. They are sometimes found in fish stores, though may be special ordered if you are willing to wait for them if they are out of season.

Author: Carrie McBirney