Maylandia lombardoi, is a 13 centimetres (5.1 in) long freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae. This species is popular in the aquarium hobby where it is sold under a variety of common names including: lombardoi mbuna, kenyi mbuna or kennyi mbuna or kenyi cichlid. This species is sometimes seen in the genus Metriaclima owing to a dispute in which a minority of cichlid researchers do not consider Maylandia valid (see Maylandia for discussion. The specific name honours the exotic fish dealer John Lombardo.[3]

Maylandia lombardoi
male (front) and female (back)
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cichliformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Genus:	Maylandia
Species:	M. lombardoi
Binomial name
Maylandia lombardoi (W. E. Burgess, 1977)
Synonyms[2]
Pseudotropheus lombardoi Burgess, 1977 Metriaclima lombardoi (Burgess, 1977)

Distribution and habitat

It is endemic to the rocky shores of Mbenji Island, Lake Malawi in east Africa.[2] The species is highly sexually dimorphic, females and juvenile males are pale white-blue with several blue-black vertical bands extending into the dorsal fin. Adult males turn bright yellow with faint brown bars crossing the body; fins are plain yellow with egg spots on the anal fin.

In the aquarium

Kenyi cichlids are sold for the aquarium hobby.

Reproduction

Like most mbuna cichlids, this species is a maternal mouthbrooder. When mouthbrooding, females may defend a small territory and assume the colouration of males.

Images of Kenyi cichlids

• 
  A male M. lombardoi in an aquarium.
• 
  M. lombardoi male.
• 
  A female M. lombardoi in an aquarium.
• 
  A male M. lombardoi with faint stripes.
• 
  Juvenile male M. Lombardoi with faint stripes.
• 
  A male kenyi cichlid (M.Lombardoi) in an aquarium

See also

• Mbuna
• List of freshwater aquarium fish species

References

• Dick Mills, Aquarium Fish, Dorling Kindersly Books, 2000
• Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Maylandia lombardoi" in FishBase. 10 2006 version.

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На других языках

[es] Pseudotropheus lombardoi