Steatocranus tinanti
Steatocranus tinanti. PHOTO: © Peter Robinson 2010. |
Scientific Name: Steatocranus tinanti M Poll 1939.
Previous Name/s, Synonym/s: Gobious tinanti Poll 1939, Leptotilapia tinanti, Trewavas & Irvine 1947.
Common Name/s: Slender lionhead.
Geographic Origin: Central Africa.
Habitat: Fast-flowing rapids at Kinshasa on the Lower Congo River, in Zaire.
Diet: Insects, small fish, frozen foods and live foods.
Gender Differences: Male developes a larger hump on the forehead; finnage can be extended on both sexes.
Breeding: Secretive. Fish are cave spawners.
Temperament: Moderately aggressive with other tinanti but seldom damage or kill.
Maximum Size: Male - 12cm.
Temperature Range: 25 - 28°C.
pH: 6.5 - 7.5.
Water Hardness: Soft.
Comments:
I have found these fish to be very shy in the tank, tending to hide out yet watch your every move. At meal times aggression is frantic as they tussle for food, yet never is any damage caused. They are voracious feeders, dry and frozen foods, live foods (black worms and brine shrimp) are all eagerly devoured.
Contrary to reports in various books, my fish don't dig in the current tank to any huge degree, maybe rearrange the gravel somewhat. Plants are untouched or damaged, I have Java Fern and Anubias in the tank along with a Queen of Hearts in a small flowerpot.
Spawning is a secretive affair; my first spawning of these goby-like cichlids was in a 30-inch bare-bottom tank with an end-drop filter powered by air that pumped fairly hard creating a mild current through the tank. The bottom had driftwood for cover, which the four fish used to great effect hiding out except when food was introduced.
The female disappeared and only her three companions appeared at feeding times, I suspected something was afoot but as the tank was sitting on the floor without a light I could not investigate under the driftwood. Then lo and behold after a few weeks she reappeared along with a tribe of about 25 large fry nearly 1cm in length. They grabbed adult brine shrimp or black worms, wrestling with the food, trying to eat it. It was really fun to watch two fry having a tug of war with a black worm. The female tended to ignore the fry once they appeared, leaving the male to protect them during the day but she did tuck them in at night.
All told, these fascinating goby-like cichlids make a great tank to watch as they go about their daily lives. Tinanti are usually greyish in colour but as you can see in the picture above, the female shows bright, irridescent lime-green colouring on her tail, face and ventral fins, this female eats a lot of Prestige colour granule food.
— Peter Robinson
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