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Cichlids
/ Africa / Lake Malawi / Peacock Cichlids / Peacock Cichlid
Peacock Cichlid, Red Shoulder Malawi, African Peacock
Aulonocara hansbaenschi | Pictures
Synonyms: None
Physical description: An elongated, high backed cichlid. In males, the dorsal fin is elongated and pointed.
The upper ridge of this fin a white while the rest is body colored. The body is indigo blue with 7-9 faint horizontal
black stripes. Alternating with the blue scales, are red to pink scales that are not as numerous as the blue ones.
The belly and the area immediately behind the gill cover are more red to pink scales. The other fins are the same
color as the body. The females has less elaborate fins and is brownish-gray in color. The eye appears larger and
the fins are brown or transparent.
Size/Length: To 6" (15 cm)
Similar species: Aulonocara
korneliae, Lake Malawi Butterfly Cichlid (
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi), Nyasa Peacock
(Aulonocara nyassae
), Grant's Peacock (Aulonocara
stuartgranti)
Habitat: Eastern Africa; rocky and sandy areas of Lake Malawi. Often found in caves.
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: 40" (100 cm) or 45-55 gallons (170-209 L).
The tank should have a rocky set-up
with caves and shelter for hiding places.
Hardy plants can be used as this fish will not usually bother them.
This
cichlid, like all those from Lake Malawi, prefer a coral sand substrate.
Water chemistry: pH 7.5-8.8 (8.2), 10-25 dH (15), 77-84°F (25-29°C)
Social behavior: A fish that is peaceful, yet territorial.
It can be combined with other medium
sized cichlids.
Retreats for each fish are important.
Keep several females with one male.
Suggested companions: Synodontis,
Lamprologus (and allies), Lake Tanganyika Rainbowfish (
Lamprichthys
).
FOOD: Live; bloodworms, mosquito larvae, crustaceans, snails,
Tubifex; pellets; tablets
SEX: Females are pale, while males are colorful-usually dark indigo blue.
Breeding techniques: The parents are ovophile mouthbrooders with a matriarchal family.
The female spawns on the rocky bottom
and performs mouth brooding responsibilities.
The eggs are fertilized through the dummy-egg method.
20-60 eggs are incubated in the mouth
for 20-22 days at 81-86°F (27-30°C). Start feeding the fry with
Artemia and small dry foods.
Breeding potential: 6.
Breeding the African Peacock is not especially difficult.
Remarks:
Groups of males of this species are often found in large groups in caves. In these schools,
only one male has full colors.
Difficulty of care: 5.
A hardy Peacock when kept under a regime of frequent partial water changes and given a
varied diet.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
How to save the world's oceans from overfishing
(7/8/2007) Global fishing stocks are in trouble. After expanding from 18 millions tons in 1950 to around 94 million tons in 2000, annual world fish catch has leveled off and may even be declining. Scientists estimate that the number of large predatory fish in the oceans has fallen by 90 percent since the 1950s, while about one-quarter of the world's fisheries are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. Despite these dire trends, the situation is changing. Today some of the world's largest environmental groups are focused on addressing the health of marine life and oceans, while sustainable fisheries management is at the top of the agenda for intergovenmental bodies. At the forefront of these efforts is Mike Sutton, director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's conservation program: the Center for the Future of the Oceans. The aquarium, which has long been recognized as one of the world's most important marine research facilities, is pioneering new strategies for protecting the planet's oceans. Sutton says the approach has four parts: establishing new marine protected areas, pushing for ocean policy reform, promoting sustainable seafood, and protecting wildlife and marine ecosystems.
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