Tropheus

"We conclude that the combination of mitochondrial and AFLP data provides valuable information on different processes affecting the evolutionary history of Tropheus. Mitochondrial phylogeographic patterns retained signals of large-scale migration events triggered by major lake level fluctuations, whereas the genetic cohesion among local groups of populations indicated by AFLP data results from gene flow between adjacent populations brought about by relatively frequent minor lake level fluctuations. Introgression and hybridisation between differentiated populations, morphs and species was evident in both types of molecular data, and we suggest that lake level fluctuations drove the stunning diversification of Tropheus morphs not only through population fragmentation, but also through hybridisation between differentiated morphs in secondary contact."

Lake Tanganyika is one of the most fascinating lakes in the world. The cichlids of Lake Tanganyika dominate the fish fauna, in number of species as well as in numbers of specimens. The species of the cichlid genus Tropheus are so specialized in feeding habits, that they are not able disperse beyond rocky areas. As a result the fish of this genus developed its own quite distinguishable colour variety for almost every single reef in the enormous lake. Because the display of colour is an important factor in the courtship behaviour of this fish, the different varieties developed beautiful colouration patterns.

For the first time ever, all known colour varieties, over 120 including the latest, never pictured varieties, are described and pictured. A study of over 10 year by the author Peter Schupke, resulted in a comprehensive book in which the latest scientific methods have been included.

For the aquarium hobbyist al needed information for successful care and breeding of these beautiful species are provided. With this book aquarium hobbyists and scientists will have a unique reference book which, as all Aqualog reference books, will stay up-to-date for many years with the well known Aqualog supplement system.

Cichlids of the genus Tropheus have fascinated aquarists since they were first exported from Lake Tanganyika in the late 1950s. It may have been their "unconventional" shape, or the fact that females brood their offspring to a relatively large size inside their mouths, that initially appealed to hobbyists. They are still some of the most popular cichlids kept in aquaria. Over the years much has been said about their incredible diversity of coloration, with almost any new area collected in the lake resulting in new variants, and the emphasis in the aquarium literature has almost always been on the number of variants, morphs, or species that exist in the lake. Behaviorists have, however, discovered that Tropheus species exhibit unique breeding behavior not recorded from any other group of cichlids. Their behavior in the wild, as you will read in this book, is ruled by ecological factors that cannot realistically be duplicated in the aquarium, and for this reason these fish behave rather differently in captivity. The information in this book is based on observations in the wild and almost all photographs were taken in the lake and show the fishes in their natural habitat.