TROPHEUS:

Tropheus is a small genus of eight species of cichlids endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. Annecten, Black, Brichardi, Duboisi, Ikola, Moorii, Mpimbwe and Red. The genus Tropheus is widespread across all regions of lake Tanganyika, from Burundi in the North to Zambia in the South. Males and females are relatively similar as they are monomorphic. All species maternally mouthbrood their eggs and fry and it is this characteristic that provides their latin name. The name Tropheus is derived from the Greek "trophos" which means "to nurture". Most species occur along the coastal fringes of the lake at depths of less than 3 metres. These rocky shores, with numerous rocky outcroppings and boulder formations form a habitat that provides shelter and, due to the shallow depth and the long hours of strong sunlight, heavy algal growth on which the Tropheus feed. The only tropheus species to dwell further out and deeper in the lake is Tropheus Duboisi which in general inhabits deeper regions of the lake down to around 15-20 metres. All species are algal grazers and have underslung mouths adapted to rasping algae and microinvertebrates from submerged rocks