Blue Peacock Cichlid | Aulonocara

The Blue Peacock Cichlid, Aulonocara nyassae, comes from the rocky, sandy shores of Lake Malawi, Africa. Aulonocara species are also known as peacock cichlids, aulonocaras or simply "peacocks". The males are a bright yellow to metallic blue, whereas, the females take on a drab brown to gray color. This genus is strongly sexually dichromic, even by haplochromine standards.

Diet: Many cichlids specialize in eating one type of food; notwithstanding, some of these specialized   feeders are flexible and can be opportunistic feeders.

Temperament: This describes the overall demeanor of a cichlid toward other tankmates that are of a different species. Consider that there is variability in temperament due to various factors,   including aquarium size, tankmates of similar appearance, stocking levels, and order of introduction.   There may even be some variability among individual specimens.

Compatibility: This is a relatively peaceful cichlid that is well suited to a community aquarium of like sized fish.  Males can become territorial and aggressive to other males of their own kind though.  They are best kept in groups of one male and two or three females.  If kept in tight quarters with other fish, Blue Peacocks will tend to be more aggressive than normal.

Maximum Size: This is in regards to total length (including the tail) of typical aquarium specimens. Wild specimens may not attain this size, or may in fact grow larger than aquarium raised individuals due to various factors. Also consider that this is the typical maximum size and there are exceptional individuals that will exceed it.

Difficulty: This measure is a relative value, comparing a single species against all other cichlids. This only accounts for maintanence in the aquarium and not breeding considerations. 1 = easy and forgiving, 5 = extremely challenging.

Scientific classification	Quick stats
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Cichlidae Subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae Tribe:  Haplochromini Genus: Aulonocara Regan, 1922	Size:  3.5 to 7 Inches Temp Range: 74°F to 82°F pH Level:  7.8 to 8.5 Lifespan:  5 to 12 years Tank Size:  45 gallons Diet: Pellet, Flake, Frozen