🐟 Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’ – Undescribed Lake Tanganyika Rock-Dwelling Cichlid

The Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’ is an unusual and highly specialized Lake Tanganyika cichlid known for its elegant elongated body, long flowing fins, subtle adult coloration, and dramatically colorful juveniles.

Unlike many of the familiar “Princess” cichlids from Lake Tanganyika, Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’ does not normally form large multigenerational colonies. Instead, adults typically live as pairs, establish relatively small rocky territories, and produce unusually small broods.

The species is native to the southern Tanzanian coastline of Lake Tanganyika, where it inhabits predominantly rocky habitat from approximately Cape Mpimbwe south toward Polombwe Bay.

It is especially interesting because coloration varies substantially by collection locality. Depending on where the fish originated, adults may develop:

• Yellowish heads
• Yellow pectoral fins
• Orange pectoral markings
• Orange-brown body coloration
• Orange tails
• Yellow fin margins
• Blue highlights
• Dark mature fin margins

Juveniles can be considerably more colorful than adults, often displaying striking combinations of:

• Yellow
• Orange
• Blue
• Dark facial markings

This fish is still scientifically undescribed, so the most accurate identification remains:

Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’

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🔎 Quick Facts – Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’

• 📛 Common Name: Cygnus
• 🔬 Scientific Identification: Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’
• 📚 Alternative Hobby Name: Neolamprologus sp. ‘falcicula cygnus’
• 🧬 Taxonomic Status: Scientifically Undescribed / Potential Species
• 🐟 Family: Cichlidae
• 🧬 Tribe: Lamprologini
• 🌍 Origin: Africa
• 🌊 Native Lake: Lake Tanganyika
• 🇹🇿 Primary Country: Tanzania
• 📍 Distribution: Southern Tanzanian shoreline from approximately Cape Mpimbwe south to Polombwe Bay
• 🪨 Natural Habitat: Predominantly sediment-free rocky habitat
• 🌊 Natural Depth: Commonly around 5 meters, recorded to approximately 30 meters
• 📏 Adult Size: Approximately 9 cm / 3.5 inches total length
• ♂️ Male Size: Usually slightly larger than females
• 🏠 Recommended Aquarium for a Pair: Approximately 30–40 gallons or larger
• 🏠 Community Aquarium: Larger aquarium strongly preferred
• 🌡️ Temperature: Approximately 73–79°F
• 💧 pH: Approximately 7.8–9.0
• 💦 Water: Hard, alkaline Lake Tanganyika freshwater
• 💨 Oxygenation: Good to High
• 🌊 Water Movement: Moderate
• 🪨 Aquarium Décor: Extensive rockwork, caves and crevices
• 🍽️ Diet: Carnivore / Invertebrate & Plankton Feeder
• 🦐 Natural Foods: Small invertebrates and plankton
• 😠 Temperament: Territorial
• ⚠️ Conspecific Aggression: Can be aggressive toward its own species
• 👫 Social Structure: Usually pairs; sometimes one male with multiple females in captivity
• 🚫 Colonial Species: No
• 🥚 Breeding: Cave / Rock-Crevice Spawner
• 👶 Typical Brood: Very small, often approximately 1–5 fry
• ⭐ Care Level: Intermediate
• 🌎 IUCN Status: Not Evaluated as an undescribed form

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⚠️ Important Scientific Name Correction

The older product page identifies this fish as:

Neolamprologus cygnus

That makes the name look like a formally described species.

It currently is not.

The most accurate identification is:

Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’

The:

sp.

means that this fish is recognized as belonging to the genus:

Neolamprologus

but it has not yet been given a formally published scientific species name.

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🧬 Still an Undescribed Species

Modern scientific studies continue to recognize:

Neolamprologus sp. ‘cygnus’

as an undescribed or potential species.

It has also historically appeared under the aquarium designation:

Neolamprologus sp. ‘falcicula cygnus’

because of its similarity to:

Neolamprologus falcicula

However, modern Lake Tanganyika specialists generally treat Cygnus as a separate geographical and biological form deserving its own provisional identity.

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🦢 Why Is It Called “Cygnus”?

The provisional name:

CYGNUS

comes from a Latinized form of the Greek word for:

SWAN

The name fits the fish's elegant appearance, particularly its:

• Slender body
• Extended fins
• Graceful swimming
• Long caudal-fin lobes

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📜 Aquarium Hobby History

The Cygnus cichlid was reportedly discovered in:

1988

by Walter Dieckhoff.

Ad Konings later introduced the provisional Cygnus name to the aquarium community.

Early aquarium exports began around:

1991

with fish collected from the Kipili region of Tanzania.

This means the fish has been known to specialist Tanganyika aquarists for decades even though it still lacks a formal scientific species description.

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🎨 Appearance

Adult Cygnus are elegant rather than extremely brightly colored.

Typical adult body coloration can include:

• Beige
• Gray-brown
• Olive-brown
• Yellow-brown
• Orange-brown

depending strongly on:

• Collection locality
• Age
• Sex
• Mood
• Aquarium lighting
• Social status

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🐠 Elegant Body Shape

The body is:

• Slender
• Elongated
• Laterally compressed

with extended:

• Dorsal fin
• Anal fin
• Caudal-fin lobes

that create the characteristic graceful “Princess-type” appearance.

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👶 Juveniles Can Be Much More Colorful

One particularly unusual feature of Cygnus is that:

THE JUVENILES MAY BE MORE COLORFUL THAN THE ADULTS

Young fish can develop spectacular combinations of:

• Bright yellow
• Orange
• Blue
• Black markings

before becoming more subdued as they mature.

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🟡 Juvenile Facial Markings

Juveniles and subadults may develop:

• A short dark horizontal stripe behind the eye
• A dark vertical marking near the edge of the gill cover

These markings can become less obvious with maturity.

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🎨 Geographic Color Variation

One of the most fascinating characteristics of Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’ is the amount of:

LOCALITY-BASED COLOR VARIATION

Different populations along the Tanzanian coastline may look noticeably different.

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🟡 Cape Mpimbwe / Silaf Rocks

At the northern part of the known range near:

CAPE MPIMBWE

some adults can develop a:

• Yellowish head
• Reddish-yellow head
• Golden head

appearance.

These fish are sometimes informally called:

GOLDHEAD CYGNUS

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🟨 Kipili / Mwila Island

Fish around the:

KIPILI ARCHIPELAGO

can develop:

YELLOW PECTORAL FINS

which create attractive highlights against the otherwise more subdued body.

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🟠 Southern Forms

Farther south, some populations may develop:

• Orange-brown bodies
• Orange tails
• Yellow-orange fins
• Small blue highlights

Certain populations are therefore sold under locality names such as:

• Orange Tail
• Orange Pectoral
• Yellow Pectoral
• Goldhead

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⚠️ Locality Matters

If the exact collection locality is known:

PRESERVE IT

Do not casually mix or relabel different geographic populations.

Different Cygnus populations can have distinct:

• Coloration
• Fin markings
• Adult appearance

and locality information is valuable to dedicated Lake Tanganyika keepers.

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⚠️ Color Disclaimer

Exact adult coloration cannot be guaranteed.

A colorful juvenile may become much more subdued as an adult.

Likewise, different geographic populations may produce adults with:

• More yellow
• More orange
• More brown
• Darker fin margins
• Brighter pectoral markings

This is natural variation.

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📏 Adult Size – Important Correction

The older product listing gives:

APPROXIMATELY 5 INCHES

as the maximum adult size.

That is larger than current specialist references support.

Typical adult Cygnus reach approximately:

9 CM TOTAL LENGTH

or approximately:

3.5 INCHES

Males are normally slightly larger than females.

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🏠 Aquarium Size

Although this is a relatively small cichlid, aquarium size should not be based on body length alone.

Cygnus can become:

VERY TERRITORIAL

around:

• Rockwork
• Caves
• Breeding sites

For a compatible pair:

APPROXIMATELY 30–40 GALLONS OR LARGER

is a good permanent recommendation.

Specialist sources recommend approximately:

120 LITERS / 32 GALLONS

for a pair.

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🏠 Larger Community Aquariums

For a Lake Tanganyika community aquarium:

LARGER IS BETTER

because the pair may vigorously defend its territory.

A larger aquarium allows:

• Greater territory separation
• More rock formations
• More visual barriers
• Escape routes for tankmates

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🪨 Natural Habitat

Cygnus differs from some related Neolamprologus because it is strongly associated with:

PURE ROCKY HABITAT

rather than primarily living where:

• Sand
• Rock

meet.

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🌊 Depth

Wild Cygnus are frequently encountered in relatively shallow water around:

5 METERS / 16 FEET

but have been recorded down to approximately:

30 METERS / 98 FEET

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🪨 Rock Specialist

The fish makes extensive use of:

• Rock faces
• Caves
• Cracks
• Crevices
• Gaps between stones

for:

• Shelter
• Territory
• Feeding
• Reproduction

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🏠 Aquarium Setup

The aquarium should therefore emphasize:

ROCKWORK

Recommended décor includes:

• Large rocks
• Stone piles
• Slate
• Caves
• Overhangs
• Narrow rock crevices
• Visual barriers

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⚠️ Secure Rockwork

Lake Tanganyika cichlid aquariums often contain large amounts of stone.

Make sure rocks cannot:

• Shift
• Collapse
• Trap fish
• Damage aquarium glass

Place major structural rocks securely.

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🏖️ Substrate

Sand can certainly be used and creates a natural Lake Tanganyika appearance.

However:

SAND IS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT HABITAT FEATURE FOR CYGNUS

Rock structure is more important.

A suitable setup can use:

• Fine sand
• Small smooth gravel

beneath extensive rock formations.

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💧 Major Water Parameter Correction

The existing product page lists:

pH 6.5–7.5

That should be changed.

Cygnus is a:

LAKE TANGANYIKA CICHLID

and should be maintained in:

HARD, ALKALINE WATER

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💧 Recommended pH

A better range is:

pH 7.8–9.0

Avoid deliberately keeping this fish in acidic or soft Amazon-style conditions.

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🌡️ Temperature

A practical temperature range is:

73–79°F / 23–26°C

The existing:

76–82°F

range is warmer than necessary.

Stable temperatures within the mid-to-upper 70s work well.

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💦 Hard, Alkaline Water

Lake Tanganyika contains naturally mineral-rich water.

Cygnus should be maintained with:

• Stable alkalinity
• Adequate carbonate hardness
• Adequate mineral content

Avoid abrupt swings in:

• pH
• KH
• Temperature

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⚠️ Stability Matters

Trying to chase an exact pH every day can be more harmful than maintaining a stable value within an appropriate Tanganyikan range.

Use:

• Appropriate source water
• Tanganyika mineral buffers when necessary
• Regular water changes

to maintain stability.

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💨 Oxygenation

Provide:

GOOD TO HIGH OXYGENATION

through:

• Surface agitation
• Filter returns
• Air stones
• Sponge filters
• Appropriate circulation

Lake Tanganyika cichlids benefit from clean, oxygen-rich water.

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💩 Filtration

Use strong biological filtration.

Suitable options include:

• Canister filtration
• Hang-on-back filtration
• Sump filtration
• Sponge filtration

Maintain:

AMMONIA = 0

and:

NITRITE = 0

at all times.

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🔄 Water Changes

Regular partial water changes are important.

Avoid sudden large differences in:

• Temperature
• pH
• Mineral content

between new water and aquarium water.

Stable water chemistry is especially important for Tanganyikan cichlids.

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🍽️ Diet – Carnivore / Invertebrate & Plankton Feeder

Cygnus is naturally:

CARNIVOROUS

Wild fish feed on small:

• Invertebrates
• Crustaceans
• Plankton

collected from:

• Rock surfaces
• Substrate
• Water column

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🦐 Recommended Aquarium Foods

Suitable foods include:

• Mysis shrimp
• Brine shrimp
• Cyclops
• Daphnia
• Small krill
• Mosquito larvae
• Quality cichlid pellets
• Insect-based foods
• Quality frozen foods

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🐛 Insect-Based Foods

High-quality insect-based cichlid foods are an excellent option because they provide:

• Animal protein
• Naturalistic insect nutrition
• Convenient daily feeding

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⚖️ Variety Is Best

Use a varied diet rather than feeding only one product.

A good rotation may include:

QUALITY PELLETS + SMALL FROZEN INVERTEBRATES

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⚠️ Avoid Excessive Feeding

Lake Tanganyika aquariums should not be heavily overfed.

Excess food can lead to:

• High nitrate
• Organic waste
• Poor water quality

Feed amounts that the fish can consume efficiently.

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🌿 Not Primarily Herbivorous

Cygnus is not a Tropheus-type algae grazer.

Its diet should not be based mainly on:

• Spirulina
• Vegetables
• Plant wafers

Small amounts of plant ingredients in quality prepared foods are harmless, but its natural feeding ecology is:

ANIMAL / INVERTEBRATE ORIENTED

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😠 Temperament

Cygnus is territorial.

Toward its own species:

AGGRESSION CAN BE SIGNIFICANT

especially when:

• Pairs form
• Spawning begins
• Space is limited
• Too few caves are available

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👫 Pair-Based Social Structure

Unlike many famous Princess cichlids such as:

• Neolamprologus brichardi
• Neolamprologus pulcher

Cygnus does not normally establish giant:

MULTIGENERATIONAL COLONIES

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🚫 Not a Typical Colonial Princess Cichlid

This is one of the most interesting Cygnus characteristics.

Adults usually live as:

PAIRS

rather than forming large cooperative family colonies.

Their offspring do not normally remain and build a huge family group generation after generation.

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👥 One Male With Multiple Females

In sufficiently structured aquariums, some keepers may successfully maintain:

ONE MALE WITH TWO FEMALES

but sufficient:

• Rockwork
• Territories
• Caves
• Escape routes

are essential.

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⚠️ Do Not Force a Pair

Simply placing two random adults together does not guarantee compatibility.

When possible, pairs formed naturally from a small juvenile group may be easier to manage.

Once a pair forms:

EXTRA FISH MAY NEED TO BE REMOVED

if aggression develops.

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🐠 Tanganyika Community Tankmates

In a sufficiently large aquarium, Cygnus can be maintained with carefully selected Lake Tanganyika fish occupying different ecological niches.

Potential tankmates may include appropriate:

• Cyprichromis
• Paracyprichromis
• Selected shell dwellers
• Other carefully chosen Tanganyikan cichlids

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⚠️ Community Territory Defense

Even though aggression toward unrelated fish may be lower than aggression toward other Cygnus:

A BREEDING PAIR WILL DEFEND ITS ROCKY TERRITORY

Tankmates must have enough room to avoid that territory.

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🚫 Avoid Overcrowding Rock-Dwelling Species

Do not pack numerous:

• Cave dwellers
• Rock dwellers
• Territorial Neolamprologus

into the same small aquarium.

Competition for the same habitat can create constant aggression.

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♂️ Male vs. Female

Male and female Cygnus are:

VERY SIMILAR IN APPEARANCE

There is no dramatic sexual dimorphism.

Mature males are generally:

SLIGHTLY LARGER

than females.

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⚠️ Difficult to Sex

Color alone should not be used to determine sex.

Differences may involve:

• Adult body size
• Behavior
• Pair formation
• Genital papilla when mature

For normal retail sales:

SELL AS UNSEXED

unless sex is confidently known.

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🥚 Breeding – Cave / Rock-Crevice Spawner

Cygnus is a:

SUBSTRATE CAVE SPAWNER

Breeding occurs inside protected:

• Rock crevices
• Cavities
• Caves

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👫 Pair Spawning

A compatible pair establishes a territory around a suitable rocky spawning site.

The eggs are deposited out of direct view inside the protected shelter.

Parents then defend the:

• Cave
• Immediate territory
• Fry

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👶 Extremely Small Broods

One of the most unusual characteristics of Cygnus is its:

VERY LOW REPRODUCTIVE OUTPUT

Typical broods may contain only:

1–5 FRY

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🤏 Sometimes Only 2–3 Fry

Aquarium observations frequently report:

2–3 YOUNG

with a breeding pair.

Wild pairs have also been observed with only a handful of juveniles.

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⚠️ Larger Broods Can Occur

The small brood size is typical but not absolute.

An early documented aquarium breeding produced:

AT LEAST 30 JUVENILES

Therefore:

DO NOT GUARANTEE AN EXACT BROOD SIZE

The important point is that Cygnus normally produces:

MUCH SMALLER BROODS

than many other Princess-type Neolamprologus.

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🚫 Does Not Usually Form a Fry Colony

In species such as N. brichardi, older offspring may remain with the parents and help defend later broods.

Cygnus behaves differently.

It generally does:

NOT FORM LARGE MULTIGENERATIONAL FAMILY GROUPS

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👶 Raising Fry

Once fry are free swimming, suitable foods include:

• Newly hatched baby brine shrimp
• Cyclops
• Microworms
• Fine powdered fry foods
• Crushed quality cichlid foods

Feed small amounts frequently while maintaining:

EXCELLENT WATER QUALITY

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🍼 Juveniles Are Beautiful

Young Cygnus are particularly attractive and may display more intense:

• Yellow
• Orange
• Blue

than mature adults.

The dramatic juvenile coloration is one of the most unusual features of this fish.

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🧬 Preserve Locality Lines

Because geographically separated populations display different coloration:

DO NOT MIX LOCALITY FORMS IF PRESERVING PURE LINES

Examples include fish associated with:

• Cape Mpimbwe
• Mwila Island
• Mvuna Island
• Kisi Island
• Popo Point
• Molwe
• Fulwe Rocks
• Other Tanzanian localities

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⚠️ Label Captive-Bred Fry Correctly

If locality is known, offspring should retain that locality designation.

If locality is unknown, do not guess one based on:

• Color
• Fin markings
• Juvenile appearance

Label them simply as:

Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’ – Locality Unknown

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🌎 Conservation Status

Because Cygnus remains a:

SCIENTIFICALLY UNDESCRIBED FORM

it does not have its own formal species-level IUCN Red List assessment.

Therefore:

IUCN STATUS: NOT EVALUATED

is the safest wording.

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⚠️ Not Evaluated Does Not Mean Risk-Free

Lack of an IUCN assessment does not prove that a population has no conservation concerns.

Lake Tanganyika ecosystems can be affected by:

• Sedimentation
• Pollution
• Shoreline development
• Habitat alteration
• Local collection pressure
• Climate-related ecological changes

Responsible aquarium keeping and accurate locality records remain valuable.

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⭐ Why Keep Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’?

Cygnus combines:

• 🦢 Elegant swan-like appearance
• 🎨 Dramatically colorful juveniles
• 🟡 Yellow and orange locality forms
• 🪨 Specialized rocky habitat
• 🌊 Lake Tanganyika origin
• 🇹🇿 Southern Tanzanian distribution
• 📏 Manageable approximately 3.5-inch adult size
• 👫 Pair-based social behavior
• 🤏 Exceptionally small broods
• 🥚 Fascinating cave-spawning behavior
• 🧬 Scientifically undescribed status
• 🗺️ Extensive geographic color variation

into one of the more unusual Neolamprologus available to dedicated Lake Tanganyika enthusiasts.

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⚠️ Important Considerations

Before purchasing Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’:

• The correct identification is Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’.
• Do not list the fish simply as the formally styled Neolamprologus cygnus.
• The species remains scientifically undescribed.
• It has historically also been called Neolamprologus sp. ‘falcicula cygnus’.
• It is endemic to Lake Tanganyika.
• Its known range is primarily along the southern Tanzanian shoreline.
• The range extends approximately from Cape Mpimbwe south toward Polombwe Bay.
• The species primarily inhabits rocky habitat.
• It commonly occurs around approximately 5 meters depth but ranges to about 30 meters.
• Adult size is approximately 9 cm / 3.5 inches.
• Remove the old approximately 5-inch adult maximum.
• A pair should receive approximately 30–40 gallons or larger.
• Larger aquariums are recommended for community setups.
• Provide extensive rockwork.
• Provide numerous caves and crevices.
• Maintain hard, alkaline Lake Tanganyika water.
• Maintain approximately pH 7.8–9.0.
• Remove the old pH 6.5–7.5 recommendation.
• Maintain approximately 73–79°F.
• Maintain good to high dissolved oxygen.
• Keep ammonia and nitrite at zero.
• Maintain low nitrate.
• Feed a carnivorous / invertebrate-oriented diet.
• Small crustaceans, plankton-type foods and quality cichlid foods are appropriate.
• Do not treat this species as primarily herbivorous.
• Expect territorial behavior.
• Aggression toward its own species can be substantial.
• Cygnus normally lives as pairs.
• It does not normally form huge multigenerational colonies like N. brichardi.
• Breeding occurs in caves and rock crevices.
• Typical broods are unusually small, often only 1–5 fry.
• Larger broods are possible but are unusual.
• Males and females look very similar.
• Males are generally slightly larger.
• Geographic color variation is significant.
• Preserve locality information whenever available.
• Do not mix different locality breeding lines if maintaining geographic purity.
• The undescribed Cygnus form has no formal species-level IUCN assessment.
• Never release aquarium fish into natural waterways.

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🧬 Taxonomy

The safest current identification is:

Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’

Classification:

• Order: Cichliformes
• Family: Cichlidae
• Subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae
• Tribe: Lamprologini
• Genus: Neolamprologus
• Species: Scientifically undescribed
• Provisional Name: ‘Cygnus’

Alternative aquarium terminology includes:

Neolamprologus sp. ‘falcicula cygnus’

Native range:

LAKE TANGANYIKA – TANZANIAN COAST

approximately:

CAPE MPIMBWE → POLOMBWE BAY

For this product, use:

Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’

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🗺️ Locality Disclaimer

Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’ displays significant geographical variation throughout its Tanzanian range.

Locality forms may differ in:

• Head coloration
• Pectoral-fin coloration
• Tail coloration
• Dorsal-fin markings
• Adult body color

When locality information is available, preserve it with the fish and any captive-bred offspring.

Do not assign a collection locality based solely on appearance.

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🚚 Live Fish Shipping

Live fish are professionally packed for safe transport.

Shipping availability depends on:

• Fish size
• Destination
• Weather conditions
• Carrier availability
• Applicable state and local regulations

Please review our Shipping & Payment Information and Live Arrival Guarantee / DOA Policy before ordering.

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⚠️ Buyer Responsibility

Customers are responsible for confirming that Neolamprologus sp. ‘Cygnus’ may legally be purchased, possessed, transported, and received in their state or local jurisdiction before ordering.

Never release aquarium fish into natural waterways.