Furry Diary

Not furry, but we like them anyway.

Demasoni Cichlid

Chindongo demasoni (described 1994); widely known as Pseudotropheus demasoni

Also called Demasoni, Pseudotropheus demasoni, Chindongo demasoni

SpeciesShort profile

From Lake Malawi, East Africa: known only from Pombo Rocks in Tanzanian waters.123

At a glance the quick version

Length6.3 to 10 cm213
Sizesmall
Striking blue-and-black stripes
Small enough for mid-sized Malawi tanks
Lively, curious cave explorer
13

Looks how to spot one

Small, elongated mbuna cichlid

A small, slim cichlid boldly banded in dark blue and black with lighter blue to white stripes in between. Both sexes look alike, though mature males are slightly bigger and usually carry egg-spots on the anal fin.13

Coloursdark blueblack vertical barspale blue to white bars3

Personality what they are like

Full of attitude for its size and one of the most territorial mbuna. It suits experienced keepers who stock it in a busy, rocky Malawi setup.1

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Very active; constantly patrols rock piles and often swims sideways or upside down while investigating caves.1

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Hard, alkaline water with frequent partial changes and lots of rockwork to break up sight lines and create territories.1

Home where they are happiest

Minimum base about 120 x 45 cm (around 205 litres) with plenty of stacked rock caves. Temperature 24-28 °C, pH 7.6-8.8, hardness 10-25 dGH.1

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Mainly herbivorous. Spirulina flakes, blanched spinach and nori as the base, with some live or frozen foods; avoid red meats.1

Company who they like around

Best kept in a well-stocked group with several females per male, alongside other robust mbuna rather than peaceful fish. A busier tank helps spread out territorial behaviour.1

The story where it all began

This mbuna was scientifically described in 1994 and named after cichlid importer and breeder Laif DeMason. Although it is native to just one small rocky area, captive breeding has made it a common sight in the aquarium hobby.31

Fun facts for the dinner table

  1. 1

    In the wild it is known from just one place, Pombo Rocks off the Tanzanian shore of Lake Malawi.3

  2. 2

    It often swims on its side or upside down while exploring rocky caves.1

  3. 3

    It is named after Laif DeMason, a Florida cichlid importer and breeder.3

  4. 4

    Males and females share the same colours and stripes.1

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List
Vulnerable (VU D1+2, assessed 22 May 2018)2
Taxonomy
Described in 1994 as Pseudotropheus demasoni; now often placed in the genus Chindongo; a mbuna cichlid3

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

A typical home-care rhythm for a Demasoni Cichlid. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.

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Where this comes from

Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

  1. Seriously Fish: Pseudotropheus demasoni seriouslyfish.comused for range, size, care, water, diet, behaviour, sexing, breeding
  2. FishBase: Chindongo demasoni fishbase.seused for distribution, max length, IUCN
  3. Wikipedia: Chindongo demasoni en.wikipedia.orgused for genus, etymology, range, size, colouration

Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.