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No federal permit to keep

Brichard's Lamprologus

Neolamprologus brichardi

Also known as Princess of Burundi

Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)

Neolamprologus brichardi is a species of cichlid endemic to the alkaline waters of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Intermediate

Brichard's Lamprologus — Photo: David Midgley (www.sydneycichlid.com), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: David Midgley (www.sydneycichlid.com), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

FamilyCichlids

Adult lengthup to 3.5 in

WaterFreshwater

HabitatLives in freshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 3.5 in / 9 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Temperature: 72–77°F (range recorded for this species).
pH: 8–9.
Hardness: 9–19 dGH.
Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
Diet: FishBase classes it as a carnivore.

Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.

Care guide

Species care notes

Tank: a base of at least 47 × 12 in (roughly 29 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
Water: hard, alkaline water, 73–81 °F, pH 8–9, 9–25 dGH.
Behaviour: in a pair; not a community fish.
Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “Should be housed in a Lake Tanganyika biotope set-up, with piles of rocks arranged to form caves filling much of the aquarium.”
Diet: “Live and frozen foods should comprise a large proportion of the diet.”
Tankmates: “Not an ideal resident of the community aquarium since it's aggressively territorial, especially when protecting fry, and is therefore best kept in a species tank under most circumstances.”
Breeding: “This species is a substrate-spawner depositing its eggs on the roof of rocky caves in nature, and is easily-bred in aquaria.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

Lake Tanganyika cichlids

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Rocky reefs, shell beds and sand of Lake Tanganyika. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Use species-specific alkaline-water parameters and stable, well-oxygenated conditions. For N. multifasciatus, Seriously Fish gives pH 7.5–9.0 and general hardness 8–25 dGH.
Shell-dwellers need beds of empty snail shells; rock-dwellers like Julidochromis need stacked rockwork; Tropheus need large groups and spacious tanks.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Climate & lighting

Water

76–81°F

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Diet

Tropheus moorii needs a vegetable-based staple with small suitable live/frozen supplements. Other Tanganyikans need their own feeding plan; shell-dweller and predator diets differ.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Social life

Often pair- or colony-forming and territorial; research each genus.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Health watch

Tropheus are prone to bloat on rich foods; sudden water changes stress Tanganyikans.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Understanding the animal

About this animal

It is a popular aquarium fish kept in the fishkeeping hobby, where it is known under a variety of common names including Princess cichlid, Princess of Burundi, Lyretail cichlid, Fairy cichlid and Brichard's lamprologus. In addition, the species is also the subject of numerous studies on fish behaviour.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Neolamprologus brichardi” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹

Where it lives	Lives in freshwater, in lakes. Uses both the bottom and open water.
Water it lives in	Freshwater, 72–77 °F (22–25 °C), pH 8–9, hardness 9–19 dH.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: clutch tenders.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 72–77 °F.

FishBase species summary: Neolamprologus brichardi

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 85°F (up to 90°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 61°F (down to 54°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	67–79°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	60–73% on average (driest month about 58%)
Rainfall	about 1057 mm a year

Measured at 15 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	Neolamprologus brichardi is a species of cichlid endemic to the alkaline waters of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. It is a popular aquarium fish kept in the fishkeeping hobby, where it is known under a variety of common names including Princess cichlid, Princess of Burundi, Lyretail cichlid, Fairy cichlid and Brichard's lamprologus. In addition, the species is also the subject of numerous studies on fish behaviour. It is closely related to N. pulcher from the southern half of Lake Tanganyika (N. brichardi is more widespread) and some have recommended merging the two into a single species. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase
Behavior	N. brichardi is notable in a number of ways: This fish is a substrate spawner (lays eggs on a substrate), utilizing the rocky rubble to do so. When nesting, the species exhibits brood protection typical of many cichlid species, including aggressive territorial defensive behaviour, particularly towards conspecifics encroaching on its small territory (which typically extends to no more than a few square metres). — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Biology	Breeding pair establishes its territory which is defended in a joint effort. Aquarium keeping: in pairs; minimum aquarium size 80 cm. — FishBase
History and naming	The specific name honours Pierre Brichard (1921-1990), an aquarium fish exporter based near Lake Tanganyika. — Wikipedia (community-edited)

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Adult length

Average of sources3.5in

FishBase 1643.5

Seriously Fish species profiles 1673.5

Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

Water temperature

Average of sources72.5–79°F

FishBase 16472–77

Seriously Fish species profiles 16773–81

Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.

pH

Average of sources8–9

FishBase 1648–9

Seriously Fish species profiles 1678–9

Water hardness

Average of sources9–22dGH

FishBase 1649–19

Seriously Fish species profiles 1679–25

Minimum tank footprint

Reported47in

Seriously Fish species profiles 16747

Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 12 in (about 29 US gallons).

Veterinary & husbandry research

Nile tilapia P38 MAPK interacts with Tak1 and is involved in the immune response to Streptococcus agalactiae, PolyI:C, and LPS stimulation Zheng Q et al., Fish & shellfish immunology 2025

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 2 on PubMed → 170

Federal legal snapshot

No federal permit to keep

No federal law singles out this species for private keepers. State and local rules still apply.

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Has a Seriously Fish aquarium species profile
FishBase records it in the aquarium trade (Aquarium=commercial)
7 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Seriously Fish — Neolamprologus multifasciatus Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Seriously Fish — Tropheus moorii Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.