A rather fast growing fish, Kitumbas reach sexual maturity at about the same time and size as a regular leptosoma versus a jumbo species. Female Kitumbas were observed carrying their first batch of eggs at approximately one year of age, whereas female Chaitikas carry their first batch at one and a half years of age.
In addition, Kitumba males started developing black color along the fins at a very young age. This male (Shown upper) has developed into the second stage of color maturity at only twelve months of age. Females are a drab gray with a thin black frill along the dorsal fin plus black highlights in the tail and anal fin.
The first stage of color development is the development of black. Some males stay in this stage for their entire lives (Shown upper middle). In addition, the black color is not continuous and depending on how the light reflects of the fins, shades of blue or white can also be seen. The body is also a shade lighter and just as hard to describe.
The next major color change occurs when a spot of yellow can be seen developing somewhere within the base of the tail fin (Shown middle lower). Eventually this yellow spot will grow and encompass the entire tail as the fish matures. Over time, the yellow may move forward from the fin and cover a significant portion of the body. Finally, the yellow color will cover the entire fish, and at this stage, there are no more changes to expect. This continuous metamorphosis makes the Kitumba one of the most desirable jumbo leptosoma.
