and to work toward the conservation of endangered species.

[KeepOn]

Good day everyone.  A while back, I was at Nature Pet Shop and they just received their order.  There was two fishes in a tanked which was named Pyxichromis Orthostoma from Lake Victoria.  Looking at them, they seem to be a male and female.  Since I buy everything I did breed, ask the guy to pack them up.  Brought them home and carefully introduce them in my 150 gallon tank.  They are about 5 inches in length.  I had a couple window suckers which were about a inch in a half and one morning I see the female Pyxichromis Orthostoma with the fish in her mouth and only the tail sticking out.  She swallowed the little guy.  Start reading on the web and yes, they enjoy smaller fishes.  They can open their mouths the size of a quarter no problem.  The week after another in her mouth. On the web, everywhere I look, it is mentioned that it is rare and in Lake Victoria there are no more left.  So I felt lucky to have these fish and hope to get to breed them.  One morning I wake up and the female had eggs in her mouth.  Jumped in the aquarium and got the female and stripped her and put the eggs in two incubators.  I am proud to say I have around 50 babies.  They are free swimmers.
While I was reading on the web, it is there I realized why the fishes in Lake Victoria are disappearing.  There was a fish introduced in the 1950's which is called the Perch Nile.  This guy eats anything in site.  Just google the name perch Nile and you shall see what I am talking about.  Here is a site which you can see some pictures of fishman that have caught some.  You wouldn't catch me swimming there... http://www.african-angler.co.uk/fishing.html
If you have some interest, there was a movie made concerning the fisheries around Lake Victoria, I rented it and I couldn't believe my eyes how a beautiful Lake was destroyed.  The name of the movie is called Darwin's Nightmare.  Sorry to make this post so long.
The reason I wrote this post is because the first time I logged into the web site, I remember reading that the club is to work towards the conservation of endangered species.  I remember in 1995, I met with Dr. Loiselle, we had supper together, we spent the evening talking about the fishes from Madagascar being endangered.  I see that all this is done because of war,arms,money and control.
If any of you would like to participate and get this specie back in the aquariums, I am willing to share my babies with you. 

[Dave and Diane]

Yes very true a Predator fish at its finest.
We had the luck to raise these fish while we were living in Manitoba.
Not too much in the lines of a colourful fish, but very active feeders.
We noticed that they tended to ambush smaller fish by hiding in rock structures then raising havoc on a unsuspecting prey.
They get to 8 inches in length, and as you stated the jaw is hinged enabling it to open wide for din din.
If some people take your offer to obtain some of your babies they will be in for a treat.
Good luck and keep up the good work.

[psychwolf]

They sound like voracious little guys
Would you house these guys alone, or if not who would you want to have as their tankmates?

[KeepOn]

I have thrown in some small fish, to see if they would eat them and they seem not to have interest.  Now they eat like my other guys in the aquarium.  Pellets, flakes, frozen food.

[KeepOn]

At the moment they are with many other fishes, check my signature, they are in the 150 gallons... They swim everwhere in the aquarium.  At the moment they are the ones that are the less aggressive.  They swim around with everyone and when I show up in the fish room, they all come to the surface for food.  When I got them, I found them ugly and different.  But they are really special looking.  I find them unique.  The female is a light tan color with orange eggs spots and the male is a darker tan, with a bit of red on top and orange eggs spots..Here is a couple sites you can check them out.
http://www.haplochromis.org/minifiches/536_58_FR.html
http://www.bigskycichlids.com/Porthostoma.htm

[Dave and Diane]

We had found that they will eat a what is considered a normal diet of flakes , pellets, etc.
Its I guess when the instint to prey or hunt that they become aggressive.

a small article on them
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1571

image with mouth open

http://www.haplochromis.org/minifiches/536_58_FR.html

[beowulf]

Looking at one of the links from Dave and Diane it would indeed seem that I have a few of these!!  Interesting.  I got them from Jenn's sell off done by Babble while she was/is overseas.  We were not sure what they were other then being certain that they were from Victoria.

[KeepOn]

Are they a good size?  They are not the nices fish around.  Not much colors.  My offer still stands, if there are people who would like to raise some, tell me and I will keep some aside for you guys.

[beowulf]

Right now I would say about 4 inches or so maybe a little longer for the largest.  Looks like I have 2 of each sex as two are larger and have the dark red on top and while the other two don't.  Best part is one of the females is holding but now is the challange of catching her so she can release them in the fry tank.