All fish / Cichlidae

Featherfin Cichlid

Cyathopharynx furcifer

Also known as featherfin, furcifer, cyathopharynx furcifer, blue featherfin, furcifer cichlid, featherfin tanganyika cichlid, cyathopharynx, キアトファリンクス・フルキファー, 羽鳍鲷, 蓝翼蓝珍珠

Dominant males show striking metallic blue and gold bodies with long, threadlike pelvic fins and drawn-out dorsal and tail fins, while females are a plainer silvery grey. It is kept for its elegant shape and shimmering colour, and for the sand crater nests males build over open sandy areas.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

18 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

7.8 to 9

Smallest tank

450 litres

Keep as

One male with several females, or a large group in a big tank

Diet

Carnivore: quality cichlid pellets, frozen mysis, brine shrimp and krill

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, Zambia)

Breeding

Males dig a crater in the sand, often on top of a rock, and court females there; the female is a maternal mouthbrooder that carries the eggs and fry for about three weeks. Breeding is achievable in a long, spacious tank with plenty of sand and several females per male.

Good to know

Males are territorial towards each other and need a long tank with open sand, so keep only one male unless the tank is very large. Avoid boisterous tankmates and sudden water changes in chemistry, as it is sensitive to poor water quality.