Neolamprologus similis

By LittleMousling
 
Sometimes called zebra shelldwellers or big-eyed multis, similis are one of the more rare small shellies. Males barely top an inch standard length, and females are smaller with less impressive fins. Their distinctive stripes are the main feature that distinguish them from the "similar" Neolamprologus multifasciatus; similis have additional stripes on the neck and head. They also have the appearance of light stripes on a dark body; multis are the opposite. Supposedly the blue eyes of the similis are bigger than those of the multi but if so they're too close to tell. Behaviorally, the difference is of about the same weight: largely superficial. Similis are less easily housed in smaller tanks as groups; pairs are the safest bet in tanks up to about 20 gallons, after which colonies should work out. On the whole, though, they are quite like multis: prolific, congenial, often on display.
 
Closer to the lake than the more common multis, similis can be somewhat more demanding in their water preferences. Anorexia is a common side effect of a low pH, and although the fish are hardy and can go quite some time without eating, this is obviously not ideal. A pH of more than 8 is ideal, although 7.6 will do in most cases. GH and KH should also be high, but stability is as important as the levels themselves; better to keep to the tap's 7.8 and 15° GH than swing it about with buffers. Lately several shellie species have become commonplace in room-temperature tanks and similis may be a candidate for this – however, while they may like the cool, they cannot take extreme heat, and are very susceptible to suffocation in too-warm water, so keep an eye on the thermostat and don't turn the air conditioner off if there's a heat wave coming.
 
Similis are not terribly picky about their foods, but will rarely come to the surface to eat, so sinking pellets or flakes released underwater are the best bet. Live foods are also a hit, especially with young fry. The fry raise themselves very well on scraps but will grow faster on live food.
 
Similis are primarily found around the coast of the Republic of Congo and do not have much of a range compared to some of the shelldwellers. Largely because of this very location strains are common; most similis for sale, even wild-caught, lack a location code. Most commonly seen at the moment is "Karilani Island." The similis sites tend to be muddy and stacked high with shells, sometimes even feet deep. The similis then are used to a variety and number of shells and do best with at least 2 and as many as 20 shells per fish – more, if the pile leaves enough swimming room! They are champion diggers, although mainly in fits and spurts; a female may moved half a pound of sand in the days surrounding a spawn while for months she won't pick up so much as a mouthful. They have three main ways of moving sand: swimming into it, pushing some ahead and letting the rest funnel through their gills; picking it up mouthful by mouthful and spitting it elsewhere, often at other fish; and, more commonly seen in the ocellatus subgroup, hunkering down and vigorously wagging their tails so the sand flies in every direction.
 
Although only the loving owner will notice, similis do have some definite color – males especially display yellow and orange in the unpaired fins and blue in the paired fins, and the whole body can take on a pink hue in certain lights. The blue of the eyes can also be quite striking in many individuals and is the first readily noticeable attribute of young fry.
 
Left to its own devices, similis will readily spawn; the female lays her eggs in her shell and the male lays his belly over the opening to milt them. She will tend to stay in the shell fanning the eggs for hours or even days, or may come out at intervals to redecorate the sand all around her shell. Fry hatch quickly but may stay within the shell until they're nearly 4mm, hard to miss, with big eyes, long tails, and not much else. They hover around the shell or under it, but are soon comfortable enough in a species tank to venture out. Growth is fairly slow but faster than in many other Tanganyikans; compared to compressiceps or frontosa, similis are roadrunners in the growth race. The lifespan is still up for grabs as some find they pass a decade and others routinely see old-age deaths around five years, but the species is by no means short-lived.
 
Sand, shells, clean water, and a little attention – more than worth it to keep a rarer, beautiful shellie that will amuse and breed for years to come.