All fish / Cichlidae

Jackson's Copadichromis

Copadichromis jacksoni

Also known as copadichromis jacksoni, jacksoni utaka, haplochromis jacksoni, cyrtocara jacksoni, copadichromis jacksonii

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This is an open-water utaka cichlid from Lake Malawi that feeds on plankton. Breeding males turn a metallic blue and show a row of dark spots along the flank. Females and young fish are silvery-grey. Keepers like it because it is a fairly calm haplochromine with good colour that suits a larger Malawi community.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

14 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.5 to 8.5

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

One male with several females

Diet

Omnivore: zooplankton such as mysis, brine shrimp and krill, plus quality cichlid pellets with some vegetable matter

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania)

Breeding

It is a maternal mouthbrooder. The male digs a spawning site in the sand, and the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for about three weeks. It breeds readily in a roomy tank with several females per male.

Good to know

Males can be territorial at spawning time, so keep it with similar-sized, fairly peaceful Malawi cichlids. It needs hard, alkaline water and plenty of open swimming space. It is not widely available, so check the identification carefully, as it can be confused with other Copadichromis.