All species in this genus are relatively small fishes, less than 20 cm (7.9 in) in length. Like most Lake Malawi cichlids, exhibit brood care via maternal mouthbrooding. Numerous members of the genus are traded as aquarium fish. They are attractive because they are brightly colored and often very sexually dimorphic; like other cichlids they are not suited for beginners and for most companion tanks.[2]
Name
The name Maylandia, honours the cichlid enthusiast and author about aquaria Hans Joachim Mayland, who died in 2004,[3] was proposed as a subgenus of Pseudotropheus in 1984,[4] naming the long-known but undescribed "Ice Blue Zebra" as the type species.
In 1997 Stauffer et al.[5] described the genus Metriaclima, dismissing the pre-existing Maylandia on the assumption that it lacked a type species and a diagnosis. Two years later Condé and Géry[6] published an analysis and declared Metriaclima to be a junior synonym of Maylandia, and Maylandia hence the valid name of the genus, a view accepted by most ichthyologists.
A few authors, notably Ad Konings, dispute that the original description of Maylandia is sufficient to establish and maintain the genus. They maintain that "Maylandia" is a nomen nudum – literally, a "naked name" that does not validly refer to a group of animals as per the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.[7]
Condé, B. & Géry, J. (1999): Maylandia Meyer et Foerster, 1984, un nom générique disponible (Teleostei, Perciformes, Cichlidae) [Maylandia Meyer and Foerster, 1984, an available generic name]. Revue Française d'Aquariologie et de Herpetologie26:(1-2) 21-22.
Konings, Ad & Stauffer, J.R. Jr. (2006): Revised diagnosis of Metriaclima (Teleostei: Cichlidae) with description of a new species from Lake Malawi National Park, Africa. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters17: 233-246. PDF abstract and first page
Meyer, M.K. & Foerster, W. (1984): Un nouveau Pseudotropheus du lac Malawi avec des remarques sur le complexe Pseudotropheus-Melanochromis (Pisces, Perciformes, Cichlidae) ["A new Pseudotropheus from Lake Malawi and remarks on the Pseudotropheus-Melanochromis complex"]. Revue Française d'Aquariologie et de Herpetologie10: 107-112 [in French[verification needed]]. HTML fulltext of genus description.
Schraml, Erwin (2009): [2]. "Maylandia or Metriaclima – still a matter of debate?. eggspots no. 2: 5-15.
Seegers, L. (1998): Von Roloffia roloffi und Maylandia hajomaylandi ["On Roloffia roloffi and Maylandia hajomaylandi"]. Die Aquarien- und Terrarienzeitschrift51: 812-813 [in German].
Stauffer, J.R. Jr.; Bowers, N.J.; Kellogg, K.A. & McKaye, K.R. (1997): A revision of the blue-black Pseudotropheus zebra (Teleostei: Cichlidae) complex from Lake Malawi, Africa, with a description of a new genus and ten new species. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia148: 189–230. Abstract and first page image
