Flameback Peacock

About

Peacock cichlid (Aulonocara stuartgranti) is one of the more variable fish in the Malawi hobby, with males showing dramatically different color forms depending on where along the lake's coast their population originates. Broadly blue in the northern reaches and yellow toward the south. This variation has made the taxonomy genuinely messy, with several closely related forms that may eventually be split into their own species, and a handful of other Aulonocara species that were previously lumped in with it. In the wild, populations along the coast between Ngara and Chizi Point show interesting behavioral splits: some individuals are permanently cave-hugging and shy, while others school openly over sandy substrate hunting invertebrates. In the aquarium, males are generally peaceful toward unrelated species but will direct aggression at anything that looks similar to them, so mixing with other Aulonocara is a bad idea both for aggression reasons and because hybridization is a real risk. Mbuna tankmates tend to be too rough for this species. The standard recommendation is one male kept with a group of four to six females, which also works well for breeding. This species is a maternal mouthbrooder that will spawn readily in a community setup. Intermediate-level keepers who can manage Malawi water chemistry and provide appropriate social structure will find this fish genuinely rewarding.