Fireline Msisi Cichlid (Copadichromis trewavasae)

Copadichromis trewavasae offers a unique looks quite distinct from others in the genus. Females and juveniles are fairly drab in appearance, with three blank spots along the midline that serve to distinguish it from another common aquarium representative, C. borleyi. Mature males, on the other hand, darken to a deep inky blue, accented dorsally by a scintillating splash of electric blue. Those originating from the Tanzanian coastline near Msisi also feature a line or red through the dorsal fin.

Utaka show a diverse array of breeding strategies. Those associated with sandy environments, such as C. trewavasae, generally establish their breeding territories in self-constructed bowers built beneath beneath nearby rocks. The mouth-brooding females of this Copadichromis lineage congregate near the bottom, while in the boulder-associated C. borleyi and its ilk the females swim high off the bottom. Others (e.g. C. chrysonotus) spawn in the water column.

As with all utaka, this species is undemanding in an aquarium, feeding readily on nearly any foods offered. Groups can be safely kept together and would make for a stunning species-only display, though most opt to keep single specimens or breeding pairs. Avoid mixing with overly aggressive mbuna species, though many other Malawian and Tanganyikan genera make for suitable tankmates, such as the Aulonocara peacock cichlids or docile groups like Cyrtocara, Protomelas, Placidochromis, Otopharynx and Sciaenochromis.