All fish / Cichlidae

Blue Dolphin Cichlid

Cyrtocara moorii

Also known as blue dolphin, malawi blue dolphin, moorii, hump head cichlid, haplochromis moorii, dolphin cichlid, blue lumphead, ปลาหมอบลูดอลฟิน, ブルードルフィン, 蓝海豚, 蓝海豚鲷

A large, powder blue Malawi cichlid whose adults grow a tall forehead hump that gives it a dolphin-like profile. It is kept for its even colour and calmer nature compared with many mbuna, making it a good centrepiece for a big Malawi tank with open sand.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.5 to 8.6

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

One male with 3 or more females

Diet

Omnivore: quality cichlid pellets, krill, mysis, brine shrimp and some vegetable matter

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Malawi (Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania)

Breeding

A maternal mouthbrooder; the female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth for about three weeks. It breeds readily in a large, hard-water tank with one male and several females, though broods take time as fish mature slowly.

Good to know

Grows to 20 cm or more and needs a long tank; avoid housing with aggressive mbuna, which can bully it, or with fish small enough to be eaten.