[p]The Neolamprologus brichardi, also known as the "Princess of Burundi" was originally exported from Lake Tanganyika in 1971. Between the years of 1952 and 1988, the N. brichardi went through quite a name crisis. Experts argued over what classification the fish fell into and it was known by quite a few names until 1988 when it was classified finally as N. brichardi, in honor of the late Pierre Brichard, who was responsible for discovering and classifying many of the Tannganyikan cichlids. In the hobby now, many brichard-like fish are exported under a variety of names and most behave the same as the N. brichardi.
[p]N. brichardi are monogamous and breed quite readily in the aquarium setting. Here you see a female with fry next to her. Fry are common in a tank containing a pair of brichardi and are usually readily available at the local fish stores. Spawns can number up to 200 fry, with 50-75 being the norm. Many times picking shells or barnacles to breed in, these fish are just as apt to lay a group of eggs in the open on top of a rock. Breeding pairs are highly territorial and will guard their fry visciously. Younger fry will assist in guarding newer broods, creating a family unit or community. Below is a picture taken at Fulwe Rocks in Lake Tanganyika, demonstrating what a community of brichardi looks like and how they dominate the substrate.
[p]N. brichardi can do well in community tanks if the tank is large enough and the substrate isn't over crowded. Fifty five gallon tanks and larger should be considered for this purpose. In smaller size tanks, a breeding pair of brichardi can easily intimidate and dominate larger fish. A pair may do well for a while, but eventually there will be fry and those fry will grow. When the community grows, they're going to require more territory. It is possible to remove juvenilles as they grow to control the population in the tank. Many local fish stores will take the fry or fellow aquarists may take some. Non-sexually active individuals are normally peaceful in community tank settings. The most common way of securing a pair is to buy several juvenilles and wait till the dominant male kills off the rest excluding his girl friend. One could also inspect slightly older fish and attempt to sex them. Males tend to have a broader body and develop almost a nuchal hump, while females usually are more slender and don't show signs of any hump.