Scientific Name
Maylandia zebra

Common Name
Zebra mbuna

Biology
Dorsal spines : 16 - 19; Dorsal soft rays : 7-10; Anal spines: 3 - 4; Anal soft rays: 6 - 9. Diagnosis: head moderately sloped; rostral tip of the neurocranium swollen; jaws isognathus; outer rows of the jaws with bicuspid teeth; absence of any interrupted pigment in the pale blue dorsal fin in combination with black bars on a blue ground; gill rakers on first ceratobranchial 8-14; gill rakers on first epibranchial 1-3. Females with gray/blue to blue/brown ground color and no yellow pigment in unpaired fins, ocelli in anal fin present.

Classification

Classified By

Boulenger, 1899

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Cichlids (Cichlidae)

Distribution

Region

Africa

Distribution

Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi. Occurs on the northwestern coast between Cape Manulo and Kande Islands. Also found on Jalo Reef, at Namalenje Islands, Cape Maclear, Monkey Bay, Boadzulu Islands and Nkopola. On the eastern part, occurs at Fort Maguire, Masinje on Likoma and Chisumulu Islands.

Range

8°S - 15°S

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

22 °C

Water Temperature To

28 °C

Depth From - meters

6 m

Depth To - meters

28 m

Zone

demersal

Environment

Freshwater; ; pH range: 8.0 - 8.0; dH range: 9 - 19 demersal; depth range 6 - 28 m

Trophic Level

2.24 s.e. 0.15 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

11.3 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Aquarium: highly commercial

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (15 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Least Concern (LC)