Valid name: Haplochromis nubilus

Synonym: Astatotilapia nubila

Common name: Blue Victoria Mouthbrooder (according to fishbase?)

Location: Wide distribution including Lake Victoria

Adult male size: 4 inches (11 cm)

Diet: insectivore

Technically, Astatotilapia is a subgenus of Haplochromis. Most hobbyists prefer to continue to use Astatotilapia, since it is more descriptive than the catch-all Haplochromis. This is probably the most common victorian in the wild since it has a wide distribution throughout the satellite lakes and the rivers in the victorian basin. The dominant male is jet black with brilliant red on the fins.

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Personal notes: I bought three Astatotilapia nubila in 1998. There were dozens of them in a small tank at the local aquarium a jet black body and brilliant red fins. As soon as the net hit the water they all looked much the same. A dull gray with very little red at all. I placed them in a 40 gallon long tank with young Haplochromis species #44 "thickskin". Unfortunately, none of my nubila ever showed more color than indicated in the picture below. In a short period of time, after some intense fighting, my three nubila were down to one.

I kept the lone remaining male for about two years and he grew to around 4 inches (11 cm) long. This is one of the few species that I have no desire to ever keep again. Too much aggression, too much hiding and not enough color to make it worth the tank space.

Above is a male Haplochromis (Astatotilapia) nubila. As you can see, the digital picture quality isn't very good. I borrowed the company digital camera to snap a few quick shots but a cheap camera in unskilled hands doesn't yield quality photos.

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