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No federal permit to keep

Chequered Julie

Julidochromis marlieri

Also known as Marlier's Julie, Spotted Julie, checkerboard julie

Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)

Julidochromis marlieri is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is only known from the northwestern portion preferring rocky shorelines in deep waters.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Intermediate

Chequered Julie — Photo: No machine-readable author provided. MiguelCampos assumed (b, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. MiguelCampos assumed (b, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

FamilyCichlids

Adult lengthup to 5.9 in

WaterFreshwater

HabitatLives in freshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 5.1 in / 13 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Temperature: 72–77°F (range recorded for this species).
pH: 7.5–9.
Hardness: 0–12 dGH.
Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
Diet: A substrate browser: offer sinking foods and let it sift the bottom; use soft sand if it digs. 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

Water: hard, alkaline water, 73–81 °F, pH 7.5–9.5, 10–25 dGH.
Behaviour: temperament territorial; in a pair.
Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “It should be housed in a Lake Tanganyika biotope setup, with piles of rocks arranged to form caves filling much of the aquarium.”
Diet: “Live and frozen foods should comprise a decent proportion of the diet, alonside a decent dried brand.”
Tankmates: “Territorial, but it can be maintained successfully with other similarly sized Tanganyikan cichlids such as Altolamprologus and Cyprichromis species.”
Breeding: “Easy but patience is required.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

Lake Tanganyika cichlids

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Rocky reefs, shell beds and sand of Lake Tanganyika. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Use species-specific alkaline-water parameters and stable, well-oxygenated conditions. For N. multifasciatus, Seriously Fish gives pH 7.5–9.0 and general hardness 8–25 dGH.
Shell-dwellers need beds of empty snail shells; rock-dwellers like Julidochromis need stacked rockwork; Tropheus need large groups and spacious tanks.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Climate & lighting

Water

76–81°F

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Diet

Tropheus moorii needs a vegetable-based staple with small suitable live/frozen supplements. Other Tanganyikans need their own feeding plan; shell-dweller and predator diets differ.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Social life

Often pair- or colony-forming and territorial; research each genus.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Health watch

Tropheus are prone to bloat on rich foods; sudden water changes stress Tanganyikans.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Understanding the animal

About this animal

In the aquarium trade, it is commonly known as Marlier's Julie, Spotted Julie or Chequered Julie. This species reaches a length of 15 centimetres (5.9 in) TL. Adult females are larger than adult males.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Julidochromis marlieri” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

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. Stays near the bottom. These fish are hardy, peaceful toward other species and highly intelligent. They are microfeeders and not carnivorous. In the wild, they often stay in deep water and never come to the surface to feed. They never swim in midwater but are typical rock-dwellers. Ventures into the open but never far from the rock cover. Breeds in crevices and caves.
Water it lives in	Freshwater, 72–77 °F (22–25 °C), pH 7.5–9, hardness 12 dH.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Wild diet	Browsing on substrate.
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: clutch tenders, paternal parental care.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 72–77 °F.
Parents guard eggs or young, so expect territorial behavior when breeding.

FishBase species summary: Julidochromis marlieri

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 85°F (up to 89°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 59°F (down to 54°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	66–79°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	58–73% on average (driest month about 58%)
Rainfall	about 1094 mm a year

Measured at 12 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

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	Julidochromis marlieri is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is only known from the northwestern portion preferring rocky shorelines in deep waters. In the aquarium trade, it is commonly known as Marlier's Julie, Spotted Julie or Chequered Julie. This species reaches a length of 15 cm TL. Adult females are larger than adult males. — 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	The same study claims that polyandry aside from monogamy is also demonstrated by this species because of some observations in the nesting area where a female occupies 2 territories each with a male. This idea of an expanded mating system for J. marlieri was initially suggested by Yamagishi and Kohda (1996). However, monogamous pairs are most common. — FishBase
Biology	These fish are hardy, peaceful toward other species and highly intelligent. They are microfeeders and not carnivorous. In the wild, they often stay in deep water and never come to the surface to feed. — FishBase
History and naming	The specific name honours the Belgian zoologist Georges Marlier who collected the type. — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Adult length

Average of sources5.5in

FishBase 1645.1

Seriously Fish species profiles 1675.9

Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

Water temperature

Average of sources72.5–79°F

FishBase 16472–77

Seriously Fish species profiles 16773–81

Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.

pH

Average of sources7.5–9.2

FishBase 1647.5–9

Seriously Fish species profiles 1677.5–9.5

Water hardness

Reported10–25dGH

Seriously Fish species profiles 16710–25

Federal legal snapshot

No federal permit to keep

No federal law singles out this species for private keepers. State and local rules still apply.

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Has a Seriously Fish aquarium species profile
FishBase records it in the aquarium trade (Aquarium=commercial; AquariumFishII=based mainly on breeding)
8 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

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.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Seriously Fish — Neolamprologus multifasciatus Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Seriously Fish — Tropheus moorii Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.