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How to look after
Cyrtocara moorii
Blue dolphin cichlid
Boulenger, 1902

Cyrtocara moorii - Blue dolphin cichlid - This beautiful ciclid does well in a shoal
This beautiful ciclid does well in a shoal
more images here

(Other members of the genus Cyrtocara)

ADULT SIZE: 28 cm

WATER CONDITIONS: Moderately hard and alkaline

TEMPERATURE RANGE: 25-28 C

FOOD: Feed Cyrtocara moorii live and dried foods

DISTRIBUTION: This species comes from Lake Malawi

AQUARIUM CARE: Cyrtocara moorii can grow quite a size in aquaria with males reaching over 11 inches and females only slightly smaller. This is a hardy species that can be quite shy. It should not be kept with mbunas, as it lives in the sandy open areas of Lake Malawi, where it shoals, feeding on organisms stirred up from the sand by other fish. In the aquarium though it will happliy take most foods. It will itself burrow, but does not damage plants. Large tanks of 100 gallons or more are necessary to keep this beautiful spaecies. Both genders develop a noticeable nuchal hump which gives it a dolphinesque look, and the name: The Blue Dolphin.



For more about a typical tank set-up see Setting up a Lake Malawi Cichlid Aquarium.

BREEDING: This is a tricky species to spawn, but when it does it will often spawn continually. It is a polygamous mouthbrooder, eggs being held for around 3 weeks.

Have you bred Cyrtocara moorii? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?, or examine existing Cyrtocara moorii breeding reports

Similar species to Cyrtocara moorii

Other members of the genus Cyrtocara

Other cichlid species

Other species from Lake Malawi

Cyrtocara moorii
Blue dolphin cichlid

This beautiful ciclid does well in a shoal

This beautiful ciclid does well in a shoal

The nuchal hump and snout like mouth give this fish a dolphin-like appearance

The nuchal hump and snout like mouth give this fish a dolphin-like appearance


Cyrtocara moorii
Blue dolphin cichlid
breeding notes

BREEDING: This is a tricky species to spawn, but when it does it will often spawn continually. It is a polygamous mouthbrooder, eggs being held for around 3 weeks.

Have you bred Cyrtocara moorii? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?

Sorry no records.


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