Biotope One A Study of Flora and Fauna Ghana Cichlid Limbochromis Robertsi
by Hans van Heusden
In the series “The fish and their Biotope” we present you today Limbochromis robertsi. This species was described by Thys van den Audenaerde & Loiselle, 1971. The genus Limbochromis contains only 1 species namely Limbochromis robertsi. L robertsi is a species of cichlid endemic to Ghana where it is found in the upper reaches of the Pra River Basin, in the Etawa hills.
This species has been recorded reaching a maximum length of 10 centimetres. L robertsi prefers a rocky habitat, with little vegetation. L robertsi is a cave breeding species and has been observed that they take the larvae in a early state into their mouth by the female as well as by the male. So in the closed area like a tank you have to create some caves and proper hiding places.
This species is not common in the hobby, but is very recommendable to keep them in a larger tank with a side length of minimum 1.20 meter They prefer water with a Ph between 6.5 and 7 with a temperature around 25 degrees Celsius.
The differences between the sexes are very clear as you can see in the video. To breed them successfully you have to add some rainwater to get the microsiemens [μS] around 200.
Limbochromis robertsi is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature (IUCN). This species is only known from one location, with a very limited distribution with less than 5,000 km2 and 500 km2 respectively.
The main threats posed to this fish species include effluents from gold mining activities in the Pra basin. I recorded these shots during my last visit in Nov. 2007 together with Michel Keijman, just after the rainy season.
