Nkhomo-benga Peacock

About

The Nkhomo-benga Peacock (Aulonocara baenschi) is one of the more recognizable peacock cichlids from Lake Malawi, where it inhabits transitional zones where scattered rocks give way to sandy substrate. If you need to tell it apart from similar-looking relatives, check the snout. It has a noticeably steeper, more curved profile than most other Aulonocara species, which is a reliable field mark even in a tank full of comparable fish. Males develop rich golden-yellow coloration as they mature, while females remain the typical muted brown common to the group. In the wild, it hunts invertebrates living just below the sand surface, and that foraging behavior carries over into captivity where it appreciates open sandy areas to work over. This is a generally peaceful fish, but males can be territorial toward anything that looks similar to them, so tankmate selection takes some thought. Copadichromis, Placidochromis, and mild Mbuna like Labidochromis caeruleus tend to work reasonably well. Avoid keeping multiple Aulonocara species together since hybridization is a genuine risk. A single male kept with four to six females is the standard arrangement, both to manage aggression and to give you a realistic shot at breeding. Females are maternal mouthbrooders that carry eggs for up to four weeks before releasing free-swimming fry.