Pseudotropheus johannii, Bluegray mbuna : aquarium

Pseudotropheus johannii Eccles, 1973

Bluegray mbuna
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Image of Pseudotropheus johannii (Bluegray mbuna)
Pseudotropheus johannii
Male Picture by Hagblom, F.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cichliformes (Cichlids, convict blennies) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Pseudotropheus: Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, tropaion = defeat, a memorial of a fighting war, trophy; because of their specialized teeth were such an obvious feeding adaptation (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: John Johns was a collector of Lake Malawi fishes for the aquarium trade. ‘Johann’ is a German variant of John. Unfortunately, we have no further information about him. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 8.0 - 8.0; dH range: 9 - 19. Tropical; 22°C - 25°C (Ref. 1672); 13°S - 14°S

Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Africa: endemic to Lake Malawi. Occurs in Masinje Rocks, Cape Ngombo.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 10.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5663)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Males are brilliant sky blue to dark blue; the colors show a "checkerboard" pattern with alternating light and dark patches; several light-colored "egg spots" on their anal fin; females and juveniles bright yellow-orange in color (Ref. 44091).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found in rocky habitats of shoreline areas (Ref. 58302). Omnivorous and feed on both plant and animal matter (Ref. 44091).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Maternal mouthbrooders; males establish territories and maintain a harem of females; female deposits eggs and picks them up in the mouth for incubation; male spreads out his anal fin showing the "eggs pots"; the females mistake these spots for her eggs and try to also take them inside her mouth; the male then releases his milt and the female takes them in, thus fertilizing the eggs inside her mouth (Ref. 44091).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Kullander, Sven O. | Collaborators

Maréchal, C., 1991. Melanochromis. p. 258-265. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse, G.G. Teugels and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels; MRAC, Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 4. (Ref. 5663)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 20 June 2018

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Tools

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Alien/Invasive Species database | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search |