Stuart Grant’s peacock cichlid

Care at a glance

This peacock is one of the best-known Aulonocara of Lake Malawi and occurs in numerous regional colour forms, from deep blue with an orange chest to almost entirely orange-red. Each form belongs to its own collecting site along the lake shore.

Males only colour up fully after a year or more, while females stay an inconspicuous grey-brown. Keep one male with several females, provide a sand floor and rocks, and do not mix different colour forms if you want pure offspring.

Good to know

• Territorial
• Digger — needs fine sand

Best not combined with

• Neon tetraParacheirodon innesi
• GuppyPoecilia reticulata
• BettaBetta splendens

Related species

• Peacock cichlid (other Aulonocara)Aulonocara sp.
• Sulphurhead peacockAulonocara maylandi
• Acei cichlid (yellowtail acei)Pseudotropheus acei
• Benga peacock (sunshine)Aulonocara baenschi
• Fairy cichlid (brichardi)Neolamprologus brichardi
• Kenyi cichlidMaylandia lombardoi