En acuario muestran comportamiento petrícola, por lo que si queremos observar las costumbres caracoleras lo ideal sería un acuario de arena con muchas conchas y pocas o ninguna piedra.
Al tratarse de un m´buna realtivamente antiguo, ha sido desplazado a estas zonas arenosas por especies más modernas y mejor adaptadas al hábitat rocoso.
Como curiosidad comentar, que hay quién dice que las hembras se pueden transformar en machos fértiles.
Jay R. Stauffer Jr, Renea A. Ruffing ( 2008 ) Behaviorally Induced Sex Reversal of Metriaclima cf. livingstoni (Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi. Copeia: Vol. 2008 , No. 3 , pp. 618-620. Articles Behaviorally Induced Sex Reversal of Metriaclima cf. livingstoni (Cichlidae) from Lake Malawi Jay R.*Stauffer*Jr 1 and Renea A.*Ruffing 1 Abstract Sex reversal in the Lake Malawi cichlid, Metriaclima cf. livingstoni , was documented.
A functional male in an aquarium was separated from three functional females by a divider of clear Plexiglas® sealed to tank walls. After the male was removed, one of the functional females developed male secondary sexual characteristics and fertilized eggs produced by the other females. In a second experiment, 6 –7 functional females were placed in tanks without males. Again, sex change was noted with one of the former females fertilizing several broods.
Macho.





Hembra.






Alevines y juveniles.






Detalle de la dentición y branquispinas.

Unos vídeos.


