Tanganyikan Genus
Welcome to the Lake Tanganyika Genus Directory
(sorry, our new directory is waiting for images to be added)
For a quarter of a century, this site has stood as a dedicated archive for African Rift Valley enthusiasts. To ensure our records remain accurate for the modern fishkeeping community, this master genus list has been fully reviewed and updated to reflect the latest scientific classifications.
Lake Tanganyika is the oldest and deepest of the African Great Lakes, acting as an evolutionary crucible. Over the last 25 years, advancements in DNA sequencing and molecular biology have completely reshaped how ichthyologists classify its native fauna.
Summary of Key Taxonomic Revisions:
- Spiny Eel Consolidation: The historical endemic spiny eel genera Afrocemastacembelus and Aethiomastacembelus have been dissolved. All native Tanganyikan spiny eels are now universally classified under the singular genus Mastacembelus.
- Tetra Reclassification: The popular long-finned tetra traditionally catalogued as Alestes longipinnis has been formally split from its old lineage and is now under the valid genus Bryconalestes.
- Cichlid Streamlining: Ongoing genetic studies continue to refine complex cichlid tribes (such as the Lamprologini and Ectodini), filtering out old riverine classifications to present a true, highly accurate map of Tanganyika's distinct endemic genera.
Select any genus from the responsive grid below to explore its specific profiles, habitat parameters, and species breakdowns.
- Altolamprologus
- Asprotilapia
- Astatotilapia
- Aulonocranus
- Baileychromis
- Bathybates
- Benthochromis
- Boulengerochromis
- Bryconalestes
- Callochromis
- Cardiopharynx
- Chalinochromis
- Ctenochromis
- Cunningtonia
- Cyathopharynx
- Cynotilapia
- Cyphotilapia
- Cyprichromis
- Ectodus
- Enantiopus
- Eretmodus
- Gnathochromis
- Grammatotria
- Greenwoodochromis
- Haplotaxodon
- Hemibates
- Interochromis
- Julidochromis
- Lamprologus
- Lepidiolamprologus
- Lestradea
- Limnochromis
- Limnotilapia
- Lobochilotes
- Mastacembelus
- Microdontochromis
- Neolamprologus
- Ophthalmotilapia
- Orthochromis
- Paracyprichromis
- Perissodus
- Petrochromis
- Plecodus
- Pseudosimochromis
- Reganochromis
- Simochromis
- Spathodus
- Tangachromis
- Tanganyicodus
- Telmatochromis
- Trematocara
- Triglachromis
- Tropheus
- Tylochromis
- Variabilichromis
- Xenochromis
- Xenotilapia
The 25 Year Taxonomic Shift
If you kept, bred, or traded African cichlids a quarter of a century ago, walking into a modern aquarium room can feel completely disorientating.
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