Kribensis Cichlids belong to the
genus Pelvicachromis which is made up of eight or so species. Pelvicahromis pulcher or the rainbow krib as it’s called by hobbyists is probably the most popular and usually the first species to try in this genus. This species is also commonly referred to as the Kribensis cichlid too. These fish are considered dwarf West African cichlids where they are found in both West and Central Africa.
How big do kribensis get in a mid sized cichlid aquarium?
These great little cichlids are relatively peaceful and do well in tanks with rocks, flowerpots and plants. The maximum size attained by males is around 4 inches. They are simple to spawn, P. pulcher are substratum spawning cichlids, the female deposit eggs on a hard surface and the male fertilizes them. Both parents tend to the care of the fry and protection.
Pulcher is Latin for the word beautiful and it is an appropriate name for them. Originally this fish was called
Pelvicachromis kribensis hence its other nickname the kribensis cichlid but was later changed to the current species name pulcher. Kribs will accept a broad range of aquarium cichlid foods including flakes, pellets and freeze dried prepared foods. Their found in acidic to neutral waters in southern Nigeria and coastal areas of Cameroon.
P. pulcher are easily recognizable by their pinkish to red stomachs which becomes intense during spawning. They also have a distinct eye spots or ocelli located on both the dorsal and anal fins. These spots are outlined in gold.
Kribensis cichlids are found with many color types or morph which is probably due to different regions of where they originate from. There are albino kribensis for sale in the hobby and this is due to selective breeding efforts which have allowed them to be developed for the aquarium trade. This is a great cichlid to work with and can be housed in a 30 gallon tank pretty comfortably with other small cichlids.
Kribensis cichlid videos
List of Pelvicachromis species
Pelvicachromis humilis (Boulenger, 1916)
Pelvicachromis pulcher (Boulenger, 1901)
Pelvicachromis roloffi (Thys van den Audenaerde, 1968)
Pelvicachromis rubrolabiatus Lamboj, 2004
Pelvicachromis signatus Lamboj, 2004
Pelvicachromis silviae Lamboj, 2013[2]
Pelvicachromis subocellatus (Günther, 1872)
Pelvicachromis taeniatus (Boulenger, 1901)
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