science

Mbuna

Mbuna is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mbuna rather than just read about it. In short: Mbuna (pronounced boo-nuh (the "m" is silent), though some pronounce it umm-boo-nuh ) is the common name for a large group of African cichlids from Lake Malawi, and are members of the haplochromine tribe within the family Cichlidae. The name mbuna means "rockfish" in the language of the Tonga people of Malawi.

Key takeaways

Mbuna belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mbuna to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mbuna from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mbuna (pronounced boo-nuh (the "m" is silent), though some pronounce it umm-boo-nuh ) is the common name for a large group of African cichlids from Lake Malawi, and are members of the haplochromine tribe within the family Cichlidae. The name mbuna means "rockfish" in the language of the Tonga people of Malawi. As the name implies, most mbuna are cichlids that live among the piles of rocks and along the rocky shores of Lake Malawi, as opposed to the utaka, cichlids that live in the open water or on sandy shores or soft substrates. Some species of mbuna are highly sexually dimorphic, although many are not. Almost all of the cichlid species of Lake Malawi, including mbuna and non mbuna such as the utaka, are believed to have descended from one or a very few species that became isolated in the lake. With rising water levels, new habitats could be colonized and the many isolated rocky outcrops allowed new mbuna species to form. Their striking colors, intriguing behavioral characteristics, and relative hardiness make them very popular despite their unique demands for the home aquarist.

Mbuna in aquaria

These cichlids are some of the most colorful freshwater fish for the home aquarium. Mbuna are very aggressive and territorial fish, they are not suitable for beginner fishkeepers. A suitable aquarium setting includes many rocks, adequate filtration, caves, and hiding places; plants may be uprooted, so they are best avoided, but a small number will work well in the aquarium. One of these is Java fern, which may become the object of mbuna aggression, but will not be eaten due to an undesirable taste.

Social behavior Mbuna exhibit strong social behavior and establish a clearly visible social hierarchy including well-defined and enforced territories. A dominant male maintains a spherical territory, only allowing females to enter this territory for breeding purposes. Overcrowding helps spread out the aggression caused by these territorial conflicts. They, like Astatotilapia burtoni, are maternal mouthbrooders and breed readily in good conditions.

Water parameters All species from Lake Malawi thrive in the temperature range of 77–84 °F. pH 7.5–8.4 is ideal with an almost pristine (near 0 ppm) ammonia and ammonium nitrite content.

Notable mbuna cichlids Many mbuna cichlids are regularly stocked and sold by pet shops. Some of the most common ones are the Bumblebee Cichlid or Hornet Cichlid (Pseudotropheus crabro), Golden Cichlid (Melanochromis auratus), Electric Yellow or Yellow Lab Cichlid (Labidochromis caeruleus), Red Zebra Cichlid (Maylandia estherae), Blue Zebra Cichlid (Maylandia callainos), and Blue Johannii Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos. Many of these species are considered to have large territorial needs and aggressively defend these territories. Cichlids belonging to any of the genera listed below are considered mbuna.

Abactochromis Oliver & Arnegard 2010 Chindongo Shan Li, Konings and Stauffer, 2016 Cyathochromis Trewavas 1935 Cynotilapia Regan 1922 Genyochromis Trewavas 1935 Gephyrochromis Boulenger 1901 Iodotropheus Oliver & Loiselle 1972 Labeotropheus Ahl 1926 Labidochromis Trewavas 1935 Maylandia Meyer & Foerster 1984. (syn. Metriaclima Stauffer, Bowers, Kellogg, & McKaye 1997 ) Melanochromis Trewavas 1935 Petrotilapia Trewavas 1935 Pseudotropheus Regan 1922 Tropheops Trewavas 1984 The list below includes groups of nonmbuna mouthbrooding cichlids from Lake Malawi.

Peacock cichlids (Aulonocara species) Utaka cichlids Other genera such as Rhamphochromis

See also List of freshwater aquarium fish species Utaka Cichlids Aquarium

References

External links |accessdate=03/17/2012 Info on keeping Malawi cichlids African Cichlid Genus Gallery Ad Konings biography

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mbuna

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mbuna claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mbuna before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mbuna ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mbuna

In research: Mbuna appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mbuna in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mbuna is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fish common names, Fish of Lake Malawi, Pseudocrenilabrinae, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mbuna outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mbuna in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mbuna means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mbuna out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mbuna in simple terms?

Why does Mbuna matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mbuna?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mbuna.