The author’s second mated pair of T. buttikoferi (male left, female right) in their bare-bottom 180-
gallon tank.
varieties of Cyphotilapia frontosa. Female
buttikoferi usually have more-rounded fins
and are slightly smaller than their male
counterparts. A fully mature male also has
a nuchal hump.
This species was described by Hubrecht
in 1881 and originates from West Africa,
specifically Guinea-Bissau (the Geba and
Corubal Rivers) to Liberia (Saint John
River). In relation to T. joka, the buttikoferi
can reach a much larger size; in fact,
the specimens that I saw at the Monaco
Aquarium looked to me to be about 2 feet
in length. A typical long life span would
not surprise me, as I recently read about
someone’s large male buttikoferi living to
be more than 14 years old.
