I first learned about these guys in Sacramento. Someone in the fish club had received some wild fish (she later sold some and some F1s to me) from a researcher at UC Davis.
There is simply nothing else like them. I was hooked with Stomatepia pindu - jet black, sleek and predatory looking...and this was my jumping off point to learn more about the lake and other species. Imagine that this little lake has so many endemic species. Of course, they're all descendents of some Saratherodon (Tilapia)...but in ~10,000 years they've evolved (specialized) so much.
Some are bi-parental mouthbrooders.
Some are traditional (femal) mouthbrooders
Some are harem spawners
Some are pair mouthbrooders
Some are evolved from natural hybridization
Some have different diets and juvies and adults
And all will be gone forever if the small portion of the only crater where they live is drained for irrigation, drinking water, etc, etc.
Fortunately as naturally specialized as they are in their native habitat(e.g. Pungu primarily eats a native freshwater sponge in the lake), they're really adaptable aquarium fish (tap water, room temp, flakes and pellets).
Matt
What is it about these specific fish that attracted you to want to keep them? There are many WA available now, though most are in the pelvicachromis or nanochromis family or closely related.
