Frontosa Blue Mpimbwe | Cyphotilapia fgibberos

The Frontosa cichlid is a heavy-bodied fish with a large round head and a wide lower mouth. In the aquarium, males can reach about 12 inches (30 cm) in length and females are usually smaller, reaching about 10 inches (25.4 cm). In the wild they reach a length of about 14 inches (35 cm), with some sources saying they can reach sizes up to 40 inches (40.6 cm).

Both males and females will develop a cranial hump on the forehead, but the male’s hump can be larger and more pronounced. Jenong does not appear at the time of adolescence. These fish can live 25 years or more with proper care.

The Frontosa cichlid has six or seven broad black stripes on a white background. The fins are white or light blue. This variety of fish is found in the southern part of Lake Tanganyika and was described by Takahashi and Nakaya in 2003 as Cyphotilapia gibberosa .

This group is accepted as a new species in the scientific community. They are very similar to the Frontosa cichlid Cyphotilapia frontosa , but all have six dark stripes recorded instead of seven. However, there is one variant of the native frontosa cichlid from the north which also has six stripes.

The following is a geographical variant of the frontosa cichlid.

1. Frontosa Burundi six strips
2. Frontosa Zaire blue
3. Frontosa Tanzania six strips
4. Frontosa Tanzania seven stripes or Frontosa “Kigoma”
5. Frontosa Kipili
6. Frontosa Zambia blue or Blue Face Fronto
7. Frontosa Samazi
8. Frontosa Kavala

 Frontosa Zaire biru

The breed is named after the former Republic of the Congo, namely Zaire. This group has the bluest body, with some individuals even appearing purple, and a thick stripe on the head running between the eyes and down the gill plates. Frontosa Zaire can be solid blue or not, and some individuals have blue dots on some of the stripes.

Challenges of caring for the frontosa cichlid

They are excellent fish for the intermediate and experienced cichlid hobbyist. Frontosa requires the right size aquarium and the aquarist must be willing to make frequent water changes and provide the right tank mate. In the right setup, these fish will adapt easily and readily accept ready-to-eat meals.

Frontosa is a fairly peaceful cichlid that can even be kept in a community setup with other fish of similar size and temperament. But because of predators, frontosa can also eat smaller fish.

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