Utaka Cichlids:
Most Lake Malawi cichlids are kept as a mix of mbuna, peacocks and utaka. The mbuna are well known as the rock dwelling, brightly-coloured cichlids of the genera Pseudotropheus, Labidochromis, Cynotilapia, Labeotropheus and Metriaclima (amongst others). These are the typical cichlids so often traded as ‘mixed Malawis’, a term that gives shudders as it often includes hybridized, poorly-coloured specimens imported cheaply from the Far East by importers. 
These are of unknown ancestry, and bear little resemblance to the pure species from the lake. Most are hormone-fed to produce vivid colour (whilst the hormone treatment lasts), and even the females are coloured-up, like the males, so buying both sexes is difficult.
Hemitilapia oxyrhynchus is one of the most attractive utaka species
What is rarely traded is the real utaka species from Lake Malawi. Utaka are the open water, or sand-dwelling species that do not spend their entire lives in the vicinity of rocks, as do the mbuna. These are often slightly larger-growing species than the mbuna, and most show no colour save dull silver, until the male is near adult size, at which time the most glorious blues and other colours are displayed. They can form large shoals over sandy areas, or even in open water, where they feed on the abundant Malawi lake flies (Chaoboris edulis) that swarm at certain times of year. Although many utaka species will still frequent rocky areas of the lake, they do not seem dependant on the rocky environment for their territories or for feeding and reproduction. Typical species of utaka often traded are ‘Electric blue haps’ the so-called Ahli (Sciaenochromis fryeri, this is not strictly a utaka species), Protomelas species such as the well-known “P ‘steveni Taiwan’, the red empress P. taeniolatus ‘Namalenje’ and the ‘fire-blue’ race of this species. Others from the genera Copadichromis, Mylochromis, Cyrtocara and Buccochromis are quite well-known in the hobby.
Copadichromis azureus must be the bluest fish in Lake Malawi, hence its name
The most ‘extreme’ form of this group is the species Copadichromis chrysonotus, a beautiful deep blue cichlid that spawns in open deep water, having no territory save the immediate water around it. In this case the female drops several eggs into the water column, and these are immediately picked up by the female, and probably fertilized in the buccal cavity by the male. On completion of spawning the female then joins shoals of other mouthbrooding females in open water. Food in the form of drifting phytoplankton and more importantly zooplankton is the sole source of protein, and these fish never, or very rarely ‘graze’ from rocks as do mbuna. This is undoubtedly a fine utaka species, but something totally different from C. chrysonotus. A simple diagnostic tool is that Cop. azureus has an almost straight dorsal forehead profile and is deep azure blue all over, whilst Cop. Chrysonotun has a more ‘boat shaped’ or elliptical profile, and adult males are paler on the dorsal surface than further down the body, one of the very few Malawi cichlids to be paler above than below.
Malawi peacocks, like this shoal of Aulonocara mbenji, are good tank mates for other utaka
One of the nicest utaka is Hemitilapia oxyrhynchus, quite a mouthful by name, but a stunning electric blue fish, that grows quite large, reaching about 15cm. Adult males have long trailing unpaired fins. For something that looks different from the typical blunt-snouted cichlid from Lake Malawi, the utaka of the genus Mylochromis are interesting, having long pointed snouts much like a spotted grunter from our estuaries. M. ‘mchuse’ has this long extended snout and a diagonal dark line running across the body from the upper shoulder. Adult males become very deep blue, with quite a bit of red in their fins, and look very dramatic, although are peaceful in temperament. Another strangely-shaped cichlid from the utaka group that many are familiar with is Cyrtocara moori, sometimes traded under that ghastly ‘common’ name “Malawi blue dolphins”…if ever there was a case of debasing something elegant, beautiful and almost regal as this species is, by giving it a plebian common name… this is it! “Mooriis” is quite adequate! These largish fish (up to 15cm for an adult male) are characterized by having a domed protuberance, or nuchal hump, on the head: the only Malawi cichlid to have one. Reasons for this are not well understood, but almost every cichlid enthusiast is familiar with Cyphotilapia frontosa, the large striped cichlid from L. Tanganyika which have even larger nuchal humps. Many Central American cichlids also display this feature as adult males.
What sort of aquarium is required for utaka? If you have something of the order of a ‘3 foot’ or ‘4 foot’, these tanks are too small. They may (just) be adequate for small mbuna like Labidochromis caeruleus or Cynotilapia afra, but are just too small to allow utaka species to mature and display their finnage and colour to their full potential. Whilst utaka are generally less aggressive than mbuna, they do require more space when adult as they do not have the habit of retreating to rocks to escape aggression by others, and as they are large when adult, less can be kept per unit volume of water. An ideal aquarium size is a 2m aquarium with sides 0.5m square holding about 500-600 litres. Bigger tanks are even better.
Utaka can be mixed with the more peaceful mbuna like the Labidochromis species, peacocks of the genus Aulonocara, and ‘small-time’ predators such as Electric blue haps (‘Ahli’). To mix them with Pseudotropheus, Metriaclima, Labeotropheus and other larger and aggressive territorial mbuna is asking for trouble, and the utaka will not develop to their full potential unless the aquarium is very large, with sufficient open space for the utaka to be able to keep away from rocky territories ‘owned’ by male mbuna.
Feeding of Malawi cichlids is always a difficult question: most hobbyists are sold so-called cichlid pellets by shops keen on making a quick buck by passing along their most expensive foods. These are invariably high-protein feeds developed for such predatory fish as Oscars, and other South and Central American cichlids from the old genus Cichlasoma (Jack Dempseys, Texas cichlids, Convicts, Jaguars etc). Such foods are invariably too high in protein for the algae-grazing mbuna and result in fast growth followed by early ‘unexplained’ mortality, as the animals’ internal organs collapse through an excess of protein: much like we would do if fed a sole diet of red meat for breakfast, lunch and supper. They need lots of low-protein spirulina based flake or pellet food to thrive. Utaka and peacock species (Aulonocara) are somewhat less fussy than mbuna in this respect, as their natural diet includes somewhat more animal protein in the form of insects and zooplankton in the wild. Having said this though, an exclusive diet of high-protein dry food in pellet or flake form only, will not cause them to thrive. I recommend a basic diet of spirulina flake (or pellet, if they are large specimens) food, supplemented three times weekly with cichlid pellets, frozen bloodworm and other ‘delicacies’ that may be available like earthworms, shrimp, frozen or live daphnia or cyclops etc.
As with all Lake Malawi cichlids the water quality must be kept at a high pH (between 8 and 9) and more importantly the water hardness must not be allowed to become too soft. A general hardness of over 10 degrees DH is preferred. Both pH and hardness can be sustained at correct levels by using crushed shell, either mixed with the coarse sand as the substrate or even better by using it as part of the filter medium. This shell will very slowly dissolve and buffer the water. If you are fortunate to live in a limestone area, or have naturally hard tap water this will not be so essential, but parts of the country such as Cape Town which have naturally soft acidic water will find it essential to buffer the water. Often coral sand is used, but I still have reservations that this substance is too fine and causes gill-irritation, as fish in aquaria with coral sand always seem to be scratching themselves on the rocks as if ‘irritated’. Symptoms of pH shock are reddish marks at the fin roots, moping on the bottom and extreme nervousness by the fish. Any aquarium water becomes more acidic as time passes due to the filtration’s chemical process, so pH drop may creep up on you slowly and you may be shocked on checking the ph reading at how low it really is. If you ask what the right pH should be, and your local store tells you that their water is “at the correct level, i.e. pH of 7” they do not know what they are talking about so rather buy your utaka elsewhere, the guy is an ignoramus and thinks you are too!
Copadichromis chrysonotus (male with females) is a typical utaka but with unusual colouring in that the deeper colour is on the ventral surface.
Utaka are not difficult to breed: they are all mouthbrooders like all other endemic Malawi cichlids, and have rather large broods often of 100 or more. The juveniles are usually smaller than mbuna fry, and tend to be more fragile, so the chances of raising any in a community of other cichlids is small. If you want to save the young the mouthbrooding female should be carefully removed to another tank to complete her 18-24 day cycle before final release of the fry. A word of warning! Utaka are much more prone to spitting out their eggs or fry than mbuna, so guide her with the net into a submerged small bucket rather than lifting her bodily out of the water, if you have to. If she does ‘spit the eggs’ try incubating them in a two-litre ice cream container with an airstone, you may just succeed in hatching them!
These are of unknown ancestry, and bear little resemblance to the pure species from the lake. Most are hormone-fed to produce vivid colour (whilst the hormone treatment lasts), and even the females are coloured-up, like the males, so buying both sexes is difficult.
Hemitilapia oxyrhynchus is one of the most attractive utaka species
What is rarely traded is the real utaka species from Lake Malawi. Utaka are the open water, or sand-dwelling species that do not spend their entire lives in the vicinity of rocks, as do the mbuna. These are often slightly larger-growing species than the mbuna, and most show no colour save dull silver, until the male is near adult size, at which time the most glorious blues and other colours are displayed. They can form large shoals over sandy areas, or even in open water, where they feed on the abundant Malawi lake flies (Chaoboris edulis) that swarm at certain times of year. Although many utaka species will still frequent rocky areas of the lake, they do not seem dependant on the rocky environment for their territories or for feeding and reproduction. Typical species of utaka often traded are ‘Electric blue haps’ the so-called Ahli (Sciaenochromis fryeri, this is not strictly a utaka species), Protomelas species such as the well-known “P ‘steveni Taiwan’, the red empress P. taeniolatus ‘Namalenje’ and the ‘fire-blue’ race of this species. Others from the genera Copadichromis, Mylochromis, Cyrtocara and Buccochromis are quite well-known in the hobby.
Copadichromis azureus must be the bluest fish in Lake Malawi, hence its name
The most ‘extreme’ form of this group is the species Copadichromis chrysonotus, a beautiful deep blue cichlid that spawns in open deep water, having no territory save the immediate water around it. In this case the female drops several eggs into the water column, and these are immediately picked up by the female, and probably fertilized in the buccal cavity by the male. On completion of spawning the female then joins shoals of other mouthbrooding females in open water. Food in the form of drifting phytoplankton and more importantly zooplankton is the sole source of protein, and these fish never, or very rarely ‘graze’ from rocks as do mbuna. This is undoubtedly a fine utaka species, but something totally different from C. chrysonotus. A simple diagnostic tool is that Cop. azureus has an almost straight dorsal forehead profile and is deep azure blue all over, whilst Cop. Chrysonotun has a more ‘boat shaped’ or elliptical profile, and adult males are paler on the dorsal surface than further down the body, one of the very few Malawi cichlids to be paler above than below.
Malawi peacocks, like this shoal of Aulonocara mbenji, are good tank mates for other utaka
One of the nicest utaka is Hemitilapia oxyrhynchus, quite a mouthful by name, but a stunning electric blue fish, that grows quite large, reaching about 15cm. Adult males have long trailing unpaired fins. For something that looks different from the typical blunt-snouted cichlid from Lake Malawi, the utaka of the genus Mylochromis are interesting, having long pointed snouts much like a spotted grunter from our estuaries. M. ‘mchuse’ has this long extended snout and a diagonal dark line running across the body from the upper shoulder. Adult males become very deep blue, with quite a bit of red in their fins, and look very dramatic, although are peaceful in temperament. Another strangely-shaped cichlid from the utaka group that many are familiar with is Cyrtocara moori, sometimes traded under that ghastly ‘common’ name “Malawi blue dolphins”…if ever there was a case of debasing something elegant, beautiful and almost regal as this species is, by giving it a plebian common name… this is it! “Mooriis” is quite adequate! These largish fish (up to 15cm for an adult male) are characterized by having a domed protuberance, or nuchal hump, on the head: the only Malawi cichlid to have one. Reasons for this are not well understood, but almost every cichlid enthusiast is familiar with Cyphotilapia frontosa, the large striped cichlid from L. Tanganyika which have even larger nuchal humps. Many Central American cichlids also display this feature as adult males.
What sort of aquarium is required for utaka? If you have something of the order of a ‘3 foot’ or ‘4 foot’, these tanks are too small. They may (just) be adequate for small mbuna like Labidochromis caeruleus or Cynotilapia afra, but are just too small to allow utaka species to mature and display their finnage and colour to their full potential. Whilst utaka are generally less aggressive than mbuna, they do require more space when adult as they do not have the habit of retreating to rocks to escape aggression by others, and as they are large when adult, less can be kept per unit volume of water. An ideal aquarium size is a 2m aquarium with sides 0.5m square holding about 500-600 litres. Bigger tanks are even better.Utaka can be mixed with the more peaceful mbuna like the Labidochromis species, peacocks of the genus Aulonocara, and ‘small-time’ predators such as Electric blue haps (‘Ahli’). To mix them with Pseudotropheus, Metriaclima, Labeotropheus and other larger and aggressive territorial mbuna is asking for trouble, and the utaka will not develop to their full potential unless the aquarium is very large, with sufficient open space for the utaka to be able to keep away from rocky territories ‘owned’ by male mbuna.
Feeding of Malawi cichlids is always a difficult question: most hobbyists are sold so-called cichlid pellets by shops keen on making a quick buck by passing along their most expensive foods. These are invariably high-protein feeds developed for such predatory fish as Oscars, and other South and Central American cichlids from the old genus Cichlasoma (Jack Dempseys, Texas cichlids, Convicts, Jaguars etc). Such foods are invariably too high in protein for the algae-grazing mbuna and result in fast growth followed by early ‘unexplained’ mortality, as the animals’ internal organs collapse through an excess of protein: much like we would do if fed a sole diet of red meat for breakfast, lunch and supper. They need lots of low-protein spirulina based flake or pellet food to thrive. Utaka and peacock species (Aulonocara) are somewhat less fussy than mbuna in this respect, as their natural diet includes somewhat more animal protein in the form of insects and zooplankton in the wild. Having said this though, an exclusive diet of high-protein dry food in pellet or flake form only, will not cause them to thrive. I recommend a basic diet of spirulina flake (or pellet, if they are large specimens) food, supplemented three times weekly with cichlid pellets, frozen bloodworm and other ‘delicacies’ that may be available like earthworms, shrimp, frozen or live daphnia or cyclops etc.
As with all Lake Malawi cichlids the water quality must be kept at a high pH (between 8 and 9) and more importantly the water hardness must not be allowed to become too soft. A general hardness of over 10 degrees DH is preferred. Both pH and hardness can be sustained at correct levels by using crushed shell, either mixed with the coarse sand as the substrate or even better by using it as part of the filter medium. This shell will very slowly dissolve and buffer the water. If you are fortunate to live in a limestone area, or have naturally hard tap water this will not be so essential, but parts of the country such as Cape Town which have naturally soft acidic water will find it essential to buffer the water. Often coral sand is used, but I still have reservations that this substance is too fine and causes gill-irritation, as fish in aquaria with coral sand always seem to be scratching themselves on the rocks as if ‘irritated’. Symptoms of pH shock are reddish marks at the fin roots, moping on the bottom and extreme nervousness by the fish. Any aquarium water becomes more acidic as time passes due to the filtration’s chemical process, so pH drop may creep up on you slowly and you may be shocked on checking the ph reading at how low it really is. If you ask what the right pH should be, and your local store tells you that their water is “at the correct level, i.e. pH of 7” they do not know what they are talking about so rather buy your utaka elsewhere, the guy is an ignoramus and thinks you are too!
Copadichromis chrysonotus (male with females) is a typical utaka but with unusual colouring in that the deeper colour is on the ventral surface.
Utaka are not difficult to breed: they are all mouthbrooders like all other endemic Malawi cichlids, and have rather large broods often of 100 or more. The juveniles are usually smaller than mbuna fry, and tend to be more fragile, so the chances of raising any in a community of other cichlids is small. If you want to save the young the mouthbrooding female should be carefully removed to another tank to complete her 18-24 day cycle before final release of the fry. A word of warning! Utaka are much more prone to spitting out their eggs or fry than mbuna, so guide her with the net into a submerged small bucket rather than lifting her bodily out of the water, if you have to. If she does ‘spit the eggs’ try incubating them in a two-litre ice cream container with an airstone, you may just succeed in hatching them!
No comments:
Post a Comment