What is a Cypho purpurascens?
Cypho purpurascens is a species of fish that belongs to the family of Cichlidae. It is commonly known as the purple cichlid or the purple hap, and it is native to Lake Malawi in East Africa. The male of this species has a strikingly deep purple coloration, while the female is usually less colorful with a grayish-brown hue.
The purple cichlid is a popular fish in the aquarium trade due to its vibrant coloration and relatively peaceful temperament. However, it can be quite aggressive towards other fish of the same species or similar coloration. In their natural habitat, these fish are omnivorous and feed on algae, small crustaceans, and fish larvae. In captivity, they can be fed a diet of high-quality pellets and frozen or live foods such as brine shrimp and bloodworms. Due to their specific water requirements and territorial nature, it is important to provide them with a suitable aquarium setup and proper care to ensure their health and well-being.
What is a Dottyback?
A Dottyback is a small, colorful fish that belongs to the family Pseudochromidae. These fish are popular in the aquarium trade due to their bright colors and active personalities. They are also known for their territorial behavior, and can be aggressive towards other fish in their tank.
Dottybacks are found in tropical waters around the world, and there are over 100 different species. They range in size from just a few centimeters to over 20 centimeters in length. Many species have intricate patterns and striking colors, with shades of blue, purple, yellow, and red being common.
In the wild, Dottybacks are carnivorous and feed on a variety of small invertebrates. In captivity, they can be fed a diet of frozen and live foods, and will also accept high-quality pellets or flakes. They require a well-maintained aquarium with plenty of hiding places and a good water quality. With proper care, Dottybacks can live for several years in captivity.
Why is the Cypho purpurascens a Rare Dottyback?
The Cypho purpurascens is a rare dottyback due to a combination of factors.
They are native to a relatively small geographic area – the waters around Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea.
This limited distribution makes them less common than other dottyback species found in more widespread areas.
The Cypho purpurascens is a deepwater species, typically found at depths of 50-200 meters.
This makes them more difficult to study and observe in their natural habitat, contributing to their rarity.
Cypho purpurascens is highly sought after by aquarium enthusiasts, which has led to overfishing and further depletion of their populations.
All of these factors contribute to the rare status of this unique and beautiful fish.
The oblique-lined dottyback, Cypho purpurascens, is a gorgeous and hardy little fish which deserves to be a lot more popular in the reef aquarium hobby. Growing to barely three inches long, this cherry red fish has beautiful blue accent lines around the face and fins, and a pattern of thin diagonal lines crating a metallic edging to most of the scales along the body.
The male oblique lined dottybacks have a distinct color pattern that’s easy to spot. The females, on the other hand, have less red overall and more subdued blue lines across their bodies. Lucky for us, we got our hands on a fully grown C. purpurascens specimen that’s almost done with its conditioning period. But before we release it in a big reef aquarium display, we want to shine a spotlight on its unique features and snap some great photos.
We’re excited to show off the striking color pattern of the male oblique lined dottybacks. It’s truly a sight to behold. While the females have a more subtle blue lining, the males have a bold red hue that’s hard to miss. We’re especially thrilled to have a fully grown C. purpurascens specimen in our possession, which is currently in the tail end of its conditioning period. Before we release it into the large reef aquarium display, we wanted to take some time to appreciate this feature-rich fish and capture some stunning photographs.
Our newest addition to the aquarium is a male oblique lined dottyback with a vibrant red color pattern. The females, on the other hand, have a more subdued blue lining. We were fortunate enough to acquire a fully grown C. purpurascens specimen that’s almost done with its conditioning period. We’re excited to showcase this beautiful fish before releasing it into our large reef aquarium display, where it will be much harder to photograph. With its striking colors and unique features, we’re sure it will be a crowd-pleaser.
In many ways the two species of Cypho dottybacks are miniature forms of the Dampieras of the Labracinus genus like the black barred dottyback that was recently redescribed but their smaller size makes their territorial behavior much easier to manage. Since they don’t grow very big they can’t do all that much damage should they turn their aggression on other tank mates and if they are added last to the reef tank population they should settle into a suitable hierarchy with a wide range of popular reef fish.
The oblique line dottyback is a popular aquarium fish that thrives in brightly lit shallow waters. Despite its comfortable surroundings, this cautious fish will quickly dart into the reef rock at the slightest hint of danger. This behavior is also present in captivity, where the fish tends to stay close to its aquascape.
Interestingly, the oblique line dottyback is known to be a protandrous hermaphrodite, which means it can change sex from male to female if kept away from other fish. While we expected this fish to be cryptic and reclusive, we were pleasantly surprised to find that it doesn’t hide as much as we thought it would in our four-foot tank with other fish.
We are excited to see if this personable nature continues when we move our male oblique lined dottyback to a larger reef aquarium filled with plenty of hiding places. We hope that our fish will continue to thrive and bring joy to those who see it.
Cypho purpurascens is a Rare Dottyback You Can Actually Get
Published at Fri, 22 Oct 2021 14:07:15 -0400