Just wanted to say its so good to see so many threads/trades on Africans (especially tanganyikans)!

They are the coolest fish around and its nice to see so many people have caught on!! :bounce:

I've said it before I know but one of the things that interests me about these fish it that that are so good at adapting they have virtually all come from 1 ancestor and have filled every niche available... quite a feet if you ask me!!

Very similar to this I edited from a book.

Lake Malawi, made up of mostly haplochromines,{Mbuna, Utaka...} in fact genetic study revealed this stems back to a single lineage. The other few stem back to Tilapiines. Other scientists suggest, the single lineage could be wrong, but all are still haps.

Lake Tangy has 12 different lineages or tribes. 8 of those are found exclusively in Lake Tangy. Haplochromines only make up about 5% of species.

Lake Victoria has 2 tribes, one tilapiines, the other haplochromines. Now Victoria has as many as 500 different species in just 12400 years. The DNA of 14 species of 9 endemic genera was analyzed, the variation among the species was less than within our own species, Homo sapiens.

http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/cichlids-look-nearly-identical-vt19858.html

Frenchy

definately settled on the africans !!!!

It's funny.. my first introduction to Africans were some horrible big ugly Blue Zebras.. actually were rather mongrely looking, and they came with a tank that I purchased and I didn't like them at all... the fish were donated to the National Aquarium for their big Mbuna set up so they are quite happily living in there now I never thought for one minute that I would ever be majorly hooked on the creatures (African species) after that... well yeah .. thought.. thought huh :lol: I would never part with Africans, they are here to stay.

That info above is awesome Thanks for sharing.

i was planning alsorts of tanks, discus mainly but was bored with my year old community tank. wanted a change & decided that i would go to my LPS & have a look. they ahd just moved to a new premises & revamped their tanks. they had alot of africans in a 3 footer & that was it. totally hooked on em!