Fish
Red Zebra Cichlid
Maylandia estherae · also called red zebra mbuna
Grazing algae from a sunlit rock in a shade that might be orange, red, or blue depending entirely on which individual and which stretch of Lake Malawi shoreline it calls home, a red zebra cichlid embodies just how variable a single mbuna species can be.
Overview
The red zebra cichlid, Maylandia estherae, is a highly variably coloured, rock-dwelling fish endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. Its enormously variable natural colouring that often has little to do with the word “red” in its name, maternal mouthbrooding breeding strategy, and status as one of the most widely bred mbuna in the aquarium trade make it one of the most commercially significant and visually unpredictable members of Lake Malawi’s cichlid radiation.
A name that undersells the variety
Few common names undersell a species’ true diversity as much as the red zebra cichlid’s, since wild individuals can appear orange, blue, or genuinely red depending on sex and location, a variability that selective aquarium breeding has only expanded further.
Status
Least Concern, though restricted entirely to Lake Malawi, where it remains present across suitable rocky shoreline habitat.
Red Zebra Cichlid: common questions
Is the red zebra cichlid actually red?
Not necessarily, since this species shows highly variable natural colouring, with individuals ranging from orange-red to blue depending on sex, population, and specific rocky outcrop within Lake Malawi, meaning many wild and captive individuals are not predominantly red at all despite the common name.
What does mbuna mean, and is the red zebra cichlid one?
Mbuna means "rock-dwelling" in the local Chichewa language and refers to a group of Lake Malawi cichlids strongly associated with rocky shoreline habitat, a group that includes the red zebra cichlid alongside many other variably coloured, often territorial species.
How does the red zebra cichlid protect its young?
Females of this species are maternal mouthbrooders, carrying fertilised eggs and newly hatched young inside the mouth for protection through much of early development, a breeding strategy shared with many other cichlids native to Lake Malawi.
Why are there so many different colour varieties of red zebra cichlid in stores?
This species is one of the most widely bred mbuna cichlids in the aquarium trade, and selective breeding programs have produced a range of colour strains well beyond the species' already highly variable natural wild colouring, giving keepers many options to choose from.