Haplochromis sp. "Pallisa Black Slick", A New Haplochromine from Uganda
by Justyn Miller
published in Cichlid News Magazine April 2001

Haplochromis sp. “Pallisa Black Slick” is a fascinating haplochromine species of the Lake Victorian super flock. This species can be found in Lake Kyoga and various other northern satellite lakes of Lake Victoria in Uganda. Les Kaufman and his colleagues collected the first specimen in Lake Kyoga during a collection trip in 1995, applying the interesting cheiro-nym “Slick” in naming this piscivorous species. A similar species called Haplochromis sp. “Shovelnose” may prove to be the same species as Haplochromis sp. “Pallisa Black Slick”, based on morphological comparisons (Kaufman, pers. comm.), but it should also be noted that Haplochromis sp. “Shovelnose” is much smaller and has a different dentition then “Slick.”

Though currently placed in the generalized genus Haplochromis, H. sp. “Pallisa Black Slick” may eventually be reclassified in Psammochromis or Harpagochromis.

Although no written records can be located, it is safe to say that Haplochromis sp. “Pallisa Black Slick” was first collected at a pond or lake close to Pallisa, Uganda. Though I received this fish as Haplochromis sp. “Palisa Black Slick”, after a bit of research I have found that Palisa is more commonly known as Pallisa. Though originally called Haplochromis sp. “Slick”, subsequent add-ons to the common name reflect the fish’s origins and color.

It is very likely that Julian and Mandy Whitehead first exported this species. They ran a non-profit aquarium fish operation in Kampala, Uganda in the early 1990s. Through the sale of tropical fishes to North America and Europe, they were able to provide economic support to many families stricken with AIDS. The collection site of Haplochromis sp. “Pallisa Black Slick” (“Slick” for short) is only three hours from Kampala via car, which increases the likelihood that the Whiteheads collected the species. Unfortunately, within only a few years of the start of their export operation, Julian and Mandy Whitehead had their contracts terminated by their host, ACCORD, even though scientists worldwide had praised Julian and Mandy for running an environmentally-safe collection operation.

Aquarium stock for this species might also have resulted from the flood of European collectors who arrived soon after the Whiteheads had their contract terminated. This is unlikely, however, as no collections were made anywhere near Pallisa, and these collectors only took an interest in more brightly-colored haplochromines, such as Haplochromis sp. “Zebra Obliquidens” and H. sp. “Flameback”. I should also add that no known specimens of “Slick” are currently being kept in Europe, again making it extremely unlikely that this fish was collected by the European hobby.

I currently keep my pair of H. sp. “Pallisa Black Slick” in a 10-gal aquarium, but they will soon be moved to a 30-gallon breeder tank to allow them more freedom. Decor consists of a 3” layer of fine, natural gravel and a pile of limestone rockwork that was collected from a nearby creek. I have constructed many caves in the rockwork to allow either member of the pair to escape harassment by the other. I have tried to introduce Java fern to the aquarium, but the “Slicks” would not have it. Both the male and female tore up the plants the first day the ferns were introduced to the tank. Even plastic trashbag “plants” were attacked by the pair. I intend to try silk or plastic plants in hopes that this will add more cover for the pair to reduce aggression and induce more spawns. Silk plants have worked with my Paretroplus species, which are very aggressive, so my hopes are high for them.

I first used an undergravel filter in the 10-gal tank, but after the pair began showing pre-spawning behavior I removed it, fearing that any offspring might be pulled into the gravel and unable to escape. I replaced it with a cultured sponge filter, which I took from an aquarium stocked with fry of “Haplochromis parvidens.” I had a dual filter system in the latter aquarium, so when I took the sponge filter out of the tank for the “Slicks”, I replaced it with another in hopes that I would soon be using it to filter an aquarium for “Slick” fry.

I have found that these cichlids prefer “aged” water, which I provide by allowing it to sit in a large plastic container in my garage for a couple weeks prior to use. Haplochromis sp. “Pallisa Black Slick” is found in lakes with a range of pH of 7.8-8.3, so it would be preferable to duplicate that for them in the aquarium. If you have problems with ammonia though, you can maintain the pH around 7.5, to lessen the deleterious effects of ammonia and increasing pH. My nitrogen cycle is maintained by a 20% water change tri-weekly and cleaning the sponge filter bi-weekly. Lighting for the aquarium consists of two 48” 40w fluorescent bulbs provided by a shop-light shared with another 10-gal tank containing a pair of Haplochromis greenwoodi. No heater is needed due to the constant high temperature of my fishroom.

Rapid growth of this species was accomplished by regular feedings of frozen bloodworms, freeze-dried tubifex worms, homemade cichlid pellets, and chopped-up earthworms. I was astonished to see that my small pair doubled in size in only one month, growing from one to two inches during that time. Since then they have gained half an inch every month and are now at 3.5 inches. These results are probably due to combination of the moderately-large adult size (5-6 inches) attained by this species and the high protein diet I provided. I know that siblings of both the male and female kept on other diets (by other owners) reached only 1.5” when my pair had grown to 2.0”.

Obviously before you can breed this species you must first obtain a male and a female. The male is usually the darker of the two. Breeding males exhibit a jet-black coloration with a blue sheen. My male has a slight amount of red on the anal fin which is most likely a result of the carotenes found in the shrimp that I use to make my homemade cichlid pellets. Uncolored males look just like the female, except the female exhibits a deeper jaw structure then the male (probably an “artifact” of mouthbrooding). Females are light brown with a black longitudinal stripe overlain by a series of 4-5 black bands. The male also shows these markings when he is not in breeding dress. The presence of eggspots do not mean that a fish is a male. Most female haplochromines from northern Uganda may have faint eggsspots. To further confuse the issue, some males have been found without eggspots!

I recommend that all hobbyists keep Lake Victorian species only in pairs. This allows greater conservation of genetic identity and helps breeders track specimens over generations. Such a practice will also help to keep inbreeding at a minimum. Like many Victorian haplochromines, Haplochromis sp. “Pallisa Black Slick” is in danger of becoming extinct in the wild due to exotic species introductions, pollution, and habitat destruction. It is even possible that this species will never be collected again for the aquarium trade, which again stresses the need to kept what we have in good genetic health.

My pair of “Slicks” chose a cave in the rockwork as a first spawning site. For five days both the male and the female carefully cleaned the site. They were also on guard to protect their prospective spawning site from orange-throated darters (Etheostoma sp.) that were kept in the same aquarium. Once I observed the level of aggression directed toward the darters, I quickly removed them.

On the fifth day of courtship, I observed spawning. The female used a shallow depression in a rock near the cave to lay her eggs. As 25-35 eggs were released, the female quickly took them into her mouth and approached the male, but I must admit that I wasn’t able to see any sign that the eggs were being fertilized. I thought it very strange that the female waited until all her eggs had been released before taking any of them into her mouth. All other species of haplochromines that I have encountered pick up their eggs several times during spawning rather than all at once.

After spawning the female carried the eggs for 25 days. The male stood closeby protecting the female from any human that entered the room during that time, darting across the tank to the glass wall and displaying a series of insane movements each time I approached the tank. Presumably, this behavior is a result of his territorial urges, as in the wild the female and male would part company after spawning was completed.

I soon began to see the female lead her offspring around the tank foraging for food. I chose to offer the fry newly-hatched brine shrimp and egg yolk, both of which they consumed eagerly. I added crickets to the parents’ normal diet to allow them to get their strength back, which I must say worked rather well. After three weeks, the free-swimming fry were removed to a 20-gal long aquarium, equipped with an aged sponge filter, to allow them to grow out. I continued to offer them brine shrimp and egg yolk, but I also added blood worms to their diet. Soon after they were on the same diet as the parents.

I am currently raising 23 fry, which are now about 1” in length. I am about the prospects of offering these fish to other breeders soon, as I know they will enjoy them. As I hope to be able to track future generations of this stock, I have labelled this brood with the code PBS145. Hopefully other breeders will do the same in the future.

In concluding, I would like to comment on a few of the myths I have heard about this species:

1) Haplochromis sp. “Pallisa Black Slick” is listed in the AZA’s LV-SSP. I have asked the AZA about this species and was told that they have no knowledge of it.

2) The species is from Lake Victoria. Haplochromis sp. “Pallisa Black Slick” has never been recorded from Lake Victoria proper; it is known only from so-called “satellite” lakes to the north.

3) The species is extinct in the wild. There is not basis to believe that this is true; as with most haplochromines, organized collecting efforts are needed to evaluate the current status of this species in nature.

I intend to gather more information from captive stocks of this species in the future, and I hope that in coming years Haplochromis sp. “Pallisa Black Slick” becomes more available in the hobby. Be sure to give this interesting cichlid a try if you come across it, as I am sure you will be pleased with its antics. I would like to thank Jesse Schwartz and Les Kaufman from making this article possible.

Selected Reference:

Oijen, M. J. P. van, 1996. Case Studies on Classification of Haplochromine Fishes from Lake Victoria. Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Leiden.