Not furry, but we like them anyway.

Ocellatus Shell Dweller

Lamprologus ocellatus (Steindachner, 1909)

Also called Ocellated Shell-dweller, Frog-faced Cichlid, Neolamprologus ocellatus, Gold Ocellatus (colour form)

SpeciesShort profile

From Endemic to Lake Tanganyika, on sandy bottoms scattered with rocks and empty Neothauma snail shells, typically 6 to 12 m deep.1 2 3

At a glance the quick version

Length5.8 to 6 cm1 2 3

Sizesmall

Big personality in a tiny fish

Fascinating shell-burying behaviour

Suits small dedicated setups

2 3

Looks how to spot one

Small shell-dwelling cichlid

A chunky little cichlid with a rounded, frog-like face. Males are clearly bigger and have gold-edged dorsal and anal fins, while females have white edges.2 3

Colourslight brown to tangold/yellow (gold morph)gold fin edging in males2 3

Personality what they are like

Feisty and protective of its shell and the space around it; it will happily nip at a hand that gets too close.2 3

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Busy around the bottom, burying and digging out shells with rapid tail movements.3

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Highly sensitive to ammonia and nitrite, so a well-cycled, clean tank is essential; better for keepers with some experience.3

Home where they are happiest

From about 40 to 60 cm tank (around 40 litres) for a pair or trio, with sand and plenty of empty snail shells. Temperature 23 to 27 C, pH 7.5 to 9.0, hardness 9 to 25 dGH.2 1

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Eats small invertebrates in the wild. Give mostly live and frozen foods; dry food is usually taken in time.1 2 3

Company who they like around

Can be kept as a pair or one male with 2 to 3 females; with enough shells a small colony forms.2 3

The story where it all began

Described by Steindachner in 1909, it has been placed in both Lamprologus and Neolamprologus. It is one of the classic shell dwellers of Lake Tanganyika, and a gold form is popular in the hobby.1 3 2

Fun facts for the dinner table

1
It buries its home shell in sand using propeller-like tail motions.3
2
Its bulbous face earned it the nickname 'frog-faced' cichlid.2
3
Babies are only about 6 mm long when they hatch.3
4
Females often lay their eggs inside escargot shells in aquariums.2

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 11 March 2025)1
Taxonomy: Described by Steindachner in 19091

The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you

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

FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
Temperature checkevery day
Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
Water testevery week
Glass cleanevery week
Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month

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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.

FishBase: Lamprologus ocellatus fishbase.seused for size, depth, water, diet, IUCN, describer
Seriously Fish: Lamprologus ocellatus seriouslyfish.comused for care, tank, behaviour, dimorphism, colour forms, breeding
Wikipedia: Lamprologus ocellatus en.wikipedia.orgused for shell burying, fry size, sensitivity, colours

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