Cyathopharynx foae
VAILLANT, 1899

	Photo © Michael Persson
Cyathopharynx foae, juvenile male.

Trade names and synonyms
Cyathopharynx sp."furcifer dark", Ectodus foae, Cyathopharynx grandoculius.

Size and appearance
Males could reach a size of approx. 18 cm (7 in.), females are significant smaller and more elongated.

Food
Shrimpmix, their natrual feed consists of diatoms.

Aquarium
They need plenty of space, especially the bottom area has to be wide. The aquarium should not be smaller than 500 litres (110 gal.) so that chased and stressed fishes could get away.

Habitat
Occurs in the intermediate zone between rocks and sandy floors, at depths from 3 to 20 metres (9-60 ft.).

Breeding
There has to be several females per male in the tank, otherwise the females will get too stressed. The male builds a nest of sand at the top of a rock and attempt with intense to entice females to the nest. The female lives in schools above the rocks in open water. When a female has been enticed to the nest the spawning proceeds as in the ordinary manner for sanddwelling mouthbrooders.

General
Cyathopharynx foae is very close related to Cyathopharynx furcifer.
The egg-spots are marked at the end of the males long extracted vantral fins. A completely breeding colourated male is a real juwel in a Tanganyika tank. Wildcought males often loses their bright colouration in aquariums. Specimens raised in aquarium on the other hand mostly gets their colouration at an early age.

Distribution
Found at several locations all around the lake in different geographical variants.