Biology
Telmatochromis temporalis is a monogamous, biparental substrate brooding cichlid fish. The normal form uses burrows under stones as spawning nests, whereas the dwarf form uses holes within empty snail shells. Alternative male mating tactics such as piracy mating and sneaking behaviour, both forms of reproductive parasitism, have been documented in the normal form of this species. Find out more in the behaviour section.
The fish:
- forms pairs where the male defends the territory and the female takes care of the offspring
- spawns eggs in a nest of a small hole or burrow under a stone
- breeds monogamously
- cares for and guard broods from predators for considerable long durations, which is essential for the survival for eggs and fry
Larger individuals are usually dominant over smaller ones and have larger territories, and paired males are always larger than their mates.
Some populations of Telmatochromis temporalis show a dichromatism with individuals showing either a dark or pale body colouration. The occurrence of the 2 different colour forms correlate with microhabitat use, and:
- pale fish defended territories on top of the rocks, in well-illuminated areas
- dark specimens were found in territories in shaded areas on lateral sides of the rocks
Body colour is not genetically determined since specimens can reverse their colour within a few weeks when transferred to different light conditions. It is thought that this dichromatism may function as antipredator camouflage.
