Electric Yellow

Electric Yellow are freshwater perciform fish, peculiar cichlids native to Lake Malawi, Africa. Their bodies are strikingly bright yellow, with males having dark blue streaks on their dorsal, pelvic, and ventral fins. Females, whose bodies may not be as bright yellow as males, also have blue-streaked dorsals, and somewhat less charcoal-coloured markings on their pelvic and ventral fins. In their natural habitat, Electric Yellow grow to about 9 cm in length, and have been known to reach 15 cm in captivity.

The Electric Yellow is also known as "Lemon Yellow" Labs, the "blue streak hap", the "electric yellow African", as well as "Utaka" (in Malawi), and is called the "yellow prince" in the Philippines. They are endemic to the northern coastal region of Lake Malawi, especially the Nkhata Bay area, in East Africa. It has become a popular commercial fish for aquarium enthusiasts.

This species is a Mouthbrooder, meaning the larvae may be temporarily scooped up into the parents' mouths for protection. These fish are breeding ovophiles, whereby the male will excavate a pit in the sand within his territory, in which to deposit his eggs; the female then takes these eggs into her mouth for fertilization.

Electric Yellow are peaceful compared to most other African cichlids. However, due to their aggressive nature toward non-cichlids Electric Yellow can be problematic for many standard freshwater aquarium keepers. In an aquarium setting, these fish thrive when provided numerous hiding places, such as rocks, plants, and caves.

Labidochromis caeruleus prefer water with a pH between 7.8 and 8.9 and a temperature range of 72 - 82 F (22 - 28 C). They prefer to breed in cooler temperature ranges (low 70s). Their diet consists of brine shrimp, bloodworms, and regular cichlid pellets. An abundance of brine shrimp is known to keep them bright and, in good lighting, to appear neon-like (hence the name Electric Yellow).