Cyphotilapia frontosa
Moba "Blue Zaire"
All photos by Bob Keeton
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Cyphotilapia frontosa 'Moba'

by Bob Keeton

Within the last decade a New Discovery....... Cyphotilapia frontosa Moba "Blue Zaire" or "Purple Zaire" has emerged from the Congo region of Lake Tanganyika and as of May 2004 is now both attainable and affordable to the cichlid hobbyist.

Never before has a single fish species from Lake Tanganyika, given rise to rumors, anticipation and desire of such great proportions as the genuine blue Cyphotilapia frontosa from the Congo.


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Cyphotilapia frontosa 'Zaire Blue'

It is the overwhelming opinion of this author, as well as numerous US retailers and African collectors, that our favorite variants of Zaire Blue from the Congo (in descending order) are:
1. Moba
2. Kapampa
3. Kitumba
Until very recently, the genuine Moba “Blue zaire” was extremely rare in the hobby. Only last year, retailers in the US that were fortunate enough to attain these beauties were selling trios of the Moba Frontosa for $1,200. However, with the recent repositioning of one of the largest collectors, African Diving, a few independent collectors have made significant strides in successfully bringing them up from the very deep waters off the steep Congolese coast.


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Cyphotilapia frontosa 'Tanzanite'

Most of the specimens live in very deep water, usually 80-100 meters, and have to be lured up from the deep with bait. The fish are caught one by one in a vertical net together with a small hand net, and then placed in a large cage on the bottom. The cage is slowly raised over the course of 5-7 days so the fish are completely decompressed. The fish in the cage are fed daily with fresh sardines, tiny shrimps or fish meat.


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Cyphotilapia frontosa 'Kigoma'

The specific features on the Moba are the deep solid blue to violet color on the fins, head and back, the sharp contrast between the black bars and the white mother-of-pearl body and the dark triangle between the eyes and forehead. The first bar does not extend down onto the cheeks but stops abruptly just below the eye. A shiny blue trim on the edge of the black bars is often visible. A truly magnificent fish.

Grace, beauty and friendliness are features that make the Moba frontosa, from the deep water of the shimmering Lake Tanganyika, a true legacy to the aquarium hobby.