Name: Haplochromis sp. "Red Tail Sheller"
Synonym: Platytaeniodus sp. "Red Tail Sheller"
Common name: Hap Blue Neon (or;) Red Fin Blue Neon
Location: Lake Victoria
Adult male size: 5 1/2 inches (14 cm)
Diet: snail extractor
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Personal Notes: I bought seven of these little Victorians at only about 1/2 inch (1 cm) long at the Cincinnati club auction in April of 2003. They were labeled Haplochromis sp "Blue Neon" however; I believe that this is incorrect. After some research it looks to me like they are Haplochromis sp. "Red Tail Sheller" from the Kenyan shore of Lake Victoria. I believe that this cichlid might also be sold as the Haplochromis sp. "Red Fin Blue Neon". Several sources on the internet seem to feel that the red tail sheller will be assigned to the genus Platytaeniodus in the future. They grow to about 5.5 inches (14 cm) long and closely resemble Platytaeniodus degeni in body shape. As the name would suggest (sheller) it feeds on mollusks and they live in the sandy bottom areas of the Lake. I have 2 males and 5 females. As you can see, the females actually have a little bit of red on them as well, which is a bit unusual for many victorians. They spend all day picking at the gravel and are rarely more than 3 or 4 inches above the substrate.
The 5 1/2 inch (14 cm) 5 year old dominant male Haplochromis sp. "Red Tail Sheller" shown above.
The silver colored female is shown above. The red tipped caudal and dorsal sometimes fades as does the horizontal line.
Red Tail Shellers at a younger age above.
In April of 2004 (one year after buying them) they mated and the female spit 12 very tiny little fry. This colony has given me lots of fry over the years. They bred for around three years. At over six years old, they still look great.
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