Babes In The Cichlid Hobby Tanganyika Tour - 2002

In the early spring of 2001 I went on my first collecting trip and had the time of my life. I wanted to go somewhere again with my cichlid die-hard friends. I didn't have a specific site in mind, I just knew that I wanted to experience the fish in the wild and have that camaraderie with my friends again.

We were waiting for the guys to make up their minds where we would go next or whether there would even be a next time. We found ourselves crying on Ad's shoulder, he gave us a big eye roll and said, "Girls, if you want to go on a fish trip, come with me to Lake Tanganyika, in the fall of 2002."

It didn't take long for the word to get out that we were planning an "Ad adventure," and the very boys we were begging to go with the day before were now begging Ad to go with us. Isn't that ironic! And so the BITCH Tour, Tanganyika 2002, was set.

What follows is our schedule and the sites that we had the opportunity to visit, along with a notes from my diary. There will be many articles written about this adventure by all the participants, for this publication as well as others. A goal that we all shared was to record the species that we would see each day, but we had no idea that there would be this many. In the beginning we tried to write down every thing that we saw, but as the days went on it turned in to be what species were the most exciting at each site. At the end of each day we compared notes, and it was not unusual for everyone to come up with different lists of species, there was just too much to see.

September 26, 2002, Thursday

Flight to London.

September 27, 2002, Friday

London

We went to the British Museum where we wanted to see a Mayan exhibit. The boys needed a little new world before we headed to the old world!

September 28, 2002, Saturday

London to Lusaka Zambia

September 29, 2002 Sunday

Truck ride to Lusaka to Mpulungu

September 30, 2002 Monday

Toby's Place

"Having been to México where two or three species is the norm, and seeing 8 - 10 species of cichlids in a river is an exceptional day, I was unprepared for the final count, when we added it up, there were over 50 species of cichlids alone, just off the beach, at Toby's Kalambo Lodge." -Eric Hanneman

Altolamprologus compressiceps Altolamprologus fasciatus Aulonocranus dewindti Boulengerochromis microlepis Callochromis macrops Chalinochromis brichardi Ctenochromis horei Cyathopharynx foae Cyathopharynx furcifer Cyprichromis leptosoma "jumbo" C. sp. "leptosoma grandiosus" Eretmodus cyanostictus Haplotaxodon microlepis Interochromis loocki Julidochromis ornatus Lamprologus ocellatus Lamprologus caudopunctatus Lepidiolamprologus attenuatus Lepidiolamprologus elongatus Lepidiolamprologus lemairii Limnotilapia dardennei Lobochilotes labiatus Mastacembelus sp. Neolamprologus christyi Neolamprologus cunningtoni Neolamprologus cylindricus Neolamprologus furcifer

Neolamprologus modestus Neolamprologus pulcher Neolamprologus savoryi Neolamprologus sexfasciatus Neolamprologus tetracanthus Ophthalmotilapia nasuta Ophthalmotilapia ventralis "blue" Oreochromis tanganicae Paracyprichromis brieni Perissodus straeleni Petrochromis ephippium Petrochromis famula Petrochromis fasciolatus Petrochromis sp. "orthognathus tricolor" Plecodus paradoxus Plecodus straeleni Pseudosimochromis curvifrons Simochromis diagramma Simochromis marginatus Simochromis babaulti Telmatochromis brichardi Telmatochromis temporalis Tropheus moorii "rainbow" Variabilichromis moorii Xenotilapia flavipinnis Xenotilapia sima Xenotilapia spilopterus

October 1, 2002 Tuesday

Dupes Place

Each day we had the chance to go out on the boat with Ad to a different site. Dupes place was just south of Toby's. We loaded up the boat and met our drivers who would go with us every day, Louis and Adon. The water was not as clear as in the front of Toby's place, but we still wanted to get in and snorkel around. We thought if we got out a little further it would clear up some, but it didn't. We found ourselves along a grassy edge, towards the point, where the boys were diving. We could see some fish, but it was hard to say exactly what they were. I was right behind Pam, when all of a sudden she jumped up straight out of the water and yelled, "SNAKE!" That was enough snorkeling for today!!

Altolamprologus compressiceps Altolamprologus fasciatus Asprotilapia leptura Callochromis macrops Ctenochromis horei Cyathopharynx furcifer Cyphotilapia frontosa Cyprichromis leptosoma Cyprichromis leptosoma "jumbo"? Eretmodus cyanostictus Julidochromis marlieri Julidochromis ornatus Lepidiolamprologus attenuatus Lepidiolamprologus elongatus Lobochilotes labiatus Neolamprologus buescheri Neolamprologus cylindricus

Neolamprologus savoryi Neolamprologus tetracanthus Paracyprichromis brieni Perissodus microlepis Petrochromis ephippium Plecodus paradoxus Plecodus straeleni Pseudosimochromis curvifrons Simochromis diagramma Telmatochromis brichardi Telmatochromis temporalis Tropheus moorii "kalambo" Variabilichromis moorii Xenotilapia flavipinnis Xenotilapia sima Xenotilapia sp. "papillio sunflower" Xenotilapia spilopterus

October 2, 2002, Wednesday

Kasakalawe

It was shallow and I could see the fish clearly, it was easy for me to I.D. the Tropheus and Petrochromis. I knew that there were tons of eels in Lake Tanganyika, and I was a little worried that I would confuse them with a snake, and freak myself out. But, that wasn't the case, I saw eels for the first time, and it was obvious that they were eels and not snakes. The bottom looked like the inside of some ones aquarium. Many round rocks, almost like river rocks, with smaller rocks all the way down to the size of gravel and in between. Pam and I both jumped out of the water when we saw our first Julidochromis ornatus, all right I thought, that was my target fish, how exciting is this!!

Altolamprologus compressiceps Cyathopharynx furcifer Eretmodus cyanostictus Julidochromis ornatus Lamprologus callipterus Lepidiolamprologus elongatus Lepidiolamprologus lemairii Lobochilotes labiatus Neolamprologus caudopunctatus Neolamprologus modestus Neolamprologus pulcher

Neolamprologus savoryi Neolamprologus sexfasciatus Neolamprologus tetracanthus Ophthalmotilapia ventralis Petrochromis sp. Plecodus straeleni Telmatochromis vittatus Tropheus moorii "Mpulungu" Variabilichromis moorii Xenotilapia flavipinnis Xenotilapia sima Xenotilapia spilopterus

2nd Dive off shore from Toby's

Boulengerochromis microlepis

October 3, 2002, Thursday

Chituta

Louis popped back in the boat with his net full of fish, he never had a problem getting back in the boat, and I credited that to lots of practice. Caroline and I both moved to the aft, to take a look at his catch, which we were sure, was going home with him for dinner. There was a mustax sticking out of the bucket like a sore thumb, it was probably bright yellow in the water, but in this bucket it was nearly fluorescent orange, unbelievable. He also had some Tropheus, a huge Petrochromis, lemairii, etc.

Benthochromis tricoti Cyphotilapia frontosa Cyprichromis leptosoma Cyprichromis leptosoma "Jumbo" Cyprichromis sp. Zebra Julidochromis ornatus Lamprichthys tanganicanus Lamprologus caudopunctatus Lepidiolamprologus elongatus Lepidiolamprologus kendalli Lepidiolamprologus lemairii Limnochromis abeelei Lobochilotes labiatus Neolamprologus buescheri Neolamprologus mustax "orange"

Neolamprologus nigriventris Neolamprologus pulcher Neolamprologus savoryi Gnathochromis permaxillaris Paracyprichromis brieni Paracyprichromis nigripinnis "blue neon" Perissodus microlepis Petrochromis sp. Plecodus straeleni Triglachromis otostigma Tropheus moorii "orange cheek" Xenotilapia sima Xenotilapia sp. "papillio sunflower" Xenotilapia spilopterus

October 4,2002, Friday

Dupes South Side & Gang Snorkel at Toby's

It is another bloody fricking day in paradise! Man could I get used to this, getting up around 9:30 - 10:00 every morning. Moving from my bed to my chair on the deck and listening to the waves hit the beach. No phones, no TV, no tinners or plumbers. It was heaven!

Cyathopharynx furcifer Julidochromis ornatus

Xenotilapia sp. "papillio sunflower"

October 5, 2002, Saturday

Muzi, Kambwimba-Tanzania

The plan was to go to Tanzania today , and we stopped at Muzi to see immigration for Visa's so we could dive. We wandered around this Tanzanian village with lots of children, while our leader was stuck in a tea room with our passports negotiating a couple of dives for us, we can only imagine what they are thinking. rich Americans... but for some reason I have no fear with Ad - only complete trust... although I am bit worried that he is not coming with us to Lusaka on the return trip... Back in the boat we continued south for a while and turned into a cove, and set the anchor. This was Kambwimba home of the daffodil and the red rainbow Tropheus and it was quite beautiful! Even though I was snorkeling I thought I saw a frontosa, and couldn't believe it but Ad said they were actually Plecodus straeleni the fish that mimics frontosa.. they were doing a good job of it!

Altolamprologus compressiceps "gold head" Asprotilapia leptura Aulonocranus dewindti Benthochromis tricoti Cyathopharynx foae Cyphotilapia frontosa Cyprichromis sp. Enantiopus melanogenys Eretmodus cyanostictus Giraffe Catfish Julidochromis ornatus Julidochromis marlieri Lamprichthys tanganicanus Lamprologus caudopunctatus Lepidiolamprologus kendalli Lepidiolamprologus lemairii Limnotilapia dardennei Lobochilotes labiatus

Neolamprologus cylindricus Neolamprologus modestus Neolamprologus prochilus Neolamprologus pulcher "daffodil" Neolamprologus savoryi Neolamprologus sexfasciatus Ophthalmotilapia nasuta Ophthalmotilapia ventralis Paracyprichromis nigripinnis Perissodus microlepis Petrochromis sp. Plecodus straeleni Pseudosimochromis curvifrons Synodontis petricola Tropheus moorii "Red Rainbow" Variabilichromis moorii Xenotilapia flavipinnis Xenotilapia sp. "papillio sunflower"

October 6, 2002, Sunday

Kantalamba - Tanzania

The boys weren't gone for very long and came back telling stories of seeing monkeys humping and Benthochromis, they were excited to say the least.

Altolamprologus fasciatus Asprotilapia leptura Benthochromis tricoti Cyprichromis leptosoma Gnathochromis permaxillaris Haplotaxodon microlepis Lamprichthys tanganicanus Lepidiolamprologus elongatus Lepidiolamprologus kendalli Lepidiolamprologus lemairii Limnochromis auritus Lobochilotes labiatus Neolamprologus bifasciatus

Neolamprologus obscurus Neolamprologus pulcher Neolamprologus sexfasciatus Neolamprologus sp. "vealli" Ophthalmotilapia ventralis Paracyprichromis brieni Petrochromis ephipp Petrochromis famula Petrochromis polydon Plecodus straeleni Variabilichromis moorii Telmatochromis temporalis

2nd Dive - Off Toby's

Boulengerochromis microlepis

October 7, 2002, Monday

Death March - Kalambo Falls

If I am ever in a room with these people again and I say the words "hike to Kalambo Falls," we will laugh until our sides ache. This along with the truck ride will only get funnier as time goes by. The Death March will now be called the Death Marsh, as we nearly lost our Pammy Marsh on this "Ad" adventure.