Home / Fishes / Cichlids / Cichlidae / Guenther's mouthbrooder
No federal permit to keepGuenther's mouthbrooder
Chromidotilapia guntheri
Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)
Chromidotilapia guntheri, or Günther's mouthbrooder, is a cichlid from Africa.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 36 in long and 15 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 7.1 in / 18 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 73–77°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 6–8.
- Hardness: 5–19 dGH.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a omnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 47 × 12 in (roughly 29 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 75–81 °F, pH 6–8, 1–15 dGH.
- Behaviour: in a pair; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Ideally a soft, sandy substrate should be used in order that the fish are able to browse naturally (see 'Diet').”
- Tankmates: “Can be maintained in a community provided tankmates are properly researched and chosen with care.”
- Breeding: “Biparental, paternal, substrate-spawning, ovophilic mouthbrooder.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
West, Central and southern African river cichlids and tilapias
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: African rivers, streams and lakes. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Kribensis and other dwarf West Africans do well in planted 20–30 gallon tanks with caves and neutral water.
- Tilapias and Serranochromis grow large and are often kept in ponds or for aquaculture.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 75–82°F |
Diet
- Omnivorous pellets plus frozen foods; tilapias need plant matter.
Health watch
- Several tilapias are invasive and regulated by many states; never release.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It was previously considered to consist of two subspecies, the common C. g. guntheri ranges from Liberia to Equatorial Guinea and Niger, and the critically endangered C. g.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Chromidotilapia guntheri” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in lakes. Uses both the bottom and open water. Substrate spawning, ovophilic, pair bonding, male mouthbrooding species. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 73–77 °F (23–25 °C), pH 6–8, hardness 5–19 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). Troph of juv./adults from 2 studies. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: external brooders, biparental parental care. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 73–77 °F.
- Parents guard eggs or young, so expect territorial behavior when breeding.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 91°F (up to 100°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 70°F (down to 61°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 77–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 70–83% on average (driest month about 70%) |
| Rainfall | about 1524 mm a year |
Measured at 135 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Chromidotilapia guntheri, or Günther's mouthbrooder, is a cichlid from Africa. It was previously considered to consist of two subspecies, the common C. g. guntheri ranges from Liberia to Equatorial Guinea and Niger, and the critically endangered C. g. loennbergi which was thought to be restricted to Lake Barombi-ba-Kotto, a small crater lake in Cameroon but these subspecies are not supported by subsequent authorities. The species is noted for being a biparental mouthbrooder. Eggs are laid on a flat open surface and taken in the parents' mouth. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | Male mouthbrooder; both parents take care of the young after hatching. This corrects previous information from. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Maximum length 18.0 cm sl male/unsexed. — FishBase |
| Biology | Substrate spawning, ovophilic, pair bonding, male mouthbrooding species. Both parents take care of the young after hatching. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 12 in (about 29 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More cichlids
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid
Apistogramma agassizii
Aquarium hobby
Altolamprologus calvus
Altolamprologus calvus
Aquarium hobby
Altum Angel
Pterophyllum altum
Aquarium hobby
Anomalochromis thomasi
Anomalochromis thomasi
Aquarium hobby
Apistogramma eremnopyge
Apistogramma eremnopyge
Aquarium hobby
Argentine humphead
Gymnogeophagus balzanii
Aquarium hobby