Peacock cichlid (other Aulonocara)

Care at a glance

Peacock cichlids are Aulonocara from Lake Malawi that live over sand flats and find their food in a remarkable way: sensitive pores in the head pick up the movement of small crustaceans in the sand. Males are spectacular blue, yellow or red, while females stay grey-brown.

Keep one male with several females and do not casually mix different Aulonocara: they hybridise easily and the offspring are then nameless hybrids. Provide sand to sift, rocks to mark territory boundaries and hard, alkaline water.

Good to know

• Territorial
• Digger — needs fine sand

Related species

• Acei cichlid (yellowtail acei)Pseudotropheus acei
• Stuart Grant’s peacock cichlidAulonocara stuartgranti
• Kenyi cichlidMaylandia lombardoi
• Sulphurhead peacockAulonocara maylandi
• Auratus cichlidMelanochromis auratus
• Benga peacock (sunshine)Aulonocara baenschi