Astatotilapia calliptera is actually a Malawi cichlid, often mis-identified as a Lake Victoria cichlid due to the genus name and it's physical appearance  The blue lips and the line through the eye are definitely common Victorian cichlid traits.  I was sold this fish as the victorian Astatoreochromis alluaudi which seems to be a fairly common mistake due to the similarity between these two species.  Below is the dominant male.

Below is the male's "preferred" female.

Below left is the dominant male and on the right the female in the breeder tank.

The above female released her fry in January of 2008.  The fry below are looking for protection in the females mouth.  The female is an excellent mother.

As you can see below, the male has a redish "forehead".

As juveniles, the male and female are difficult to tell apart.

 Based upon the article in the Cichlid News (Oct 2007) it appears that I have the calliptera from around Thumbi East Island.  This cichlid is found in the lake as well as rivers around Lake Malawi.  The not-so-common name is the "Eastern Happy".  Astatotilapia calliptera is found in shallow water with a sand bottom and Vallisneria plants.  The males should grow to about 5 inches (13 cm) and the females around 4 inches (10 cm).

Next Malawi cichlid <== Cynotilapia afra sp "lions cove"                           HOME

see also:         Cichlid News Magazine, October 2007,  Volume 16 No. 4

http://www.malawimayhem.com/profile_show.php?id=87

http://malawicichlids.com/mw10004.htm

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=6707

http://cichlidae.com/gallery/species.php?s=11

http://users.pandora.be/cichlidae/Malawi_galerij/c_astatotilapia_calliptera.htm

http://www.kcff.net/fish/oldworld/astatotilapia/calliptera/article.htm

http://aquavisie.retry.org/Database/Aquariumfish/Astatotilapia_calliptera.html

http://burnel.club.fr/Photos/Astatotilapia_calliptera.html

http://www.ciklidbladet.se/artregister/artreg_visa.asp?ID=300

http://www.malawi-dream.info/Astatotilapia_calliptera_Thumbi_East_Island.htm

http://www.africanfish.info/index.php?id=245&L=0