Compressed cichlid

Altolamprologus compressiceps is a distinctive cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. It has a strongly laterally compressed, deep body, a large mouth, and a pattern of vertical barring, appearing in yellow, brown, and reddish regional variants. It is a slow, deliberate predator that is territorial but not hyperactive, often lurking near rocks. It can be kept with other robust Tanganyikan cichlids but will eat small fish and shrimp given the chance. A rocky aquarium with caves and crevices in hard, alkaline water replicates its natural habitat. It is carnivorous, hunting small invertebrates and fish fry in the wild and accepting meaty frozen and prepared foods in captivity. It is a cave- or shell-spawner, and its compressed body lets it slip into narrow rock cracks to raid the broods of other fish.