All fish / Cichlidae

Night Aulonocara

Aulonocara hueseri

Also known as night peacock, hueseri peacock, aulonocara white top hueseri, white top hueseri, hueseri, aulonocara huseri, night aulonocara peacock, オーロノカラ・ヒューセリ, 夜孔雀

A small peacock cichld from Lake Malawi in which mature males show a dark blue to blackish body with faint bars and a bright white blaze along the top of the head and dorsal fin. It stays smaller and is milder than many Malawi cichlids, so it suits a peacock or calm mixed Malawi community in hard, alkaline water.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.6 to 8.6

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

One male with 3 or more females

Diet

Carnivore: small sinking pellets, frozen mysis, brine shrimp and other small invertebrates

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi (Likoma Island area, Malawi)

Breeding

A maternal mouthbrooder: the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for about three weeks after spawning on a flat stone or in a cave. It breeds readily in a well kept Malawi tank, and females can be stripped or moved to a separate tank to raise the fry.

Good to know

Avoid keeping it with mbuna or other Aulonocara species, as it can be bullied and hybridises easily. Males are territorial towards each other, so keep only one unless the tank is large.