Species Profile | Images | Breeding Report | Similar Species
(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
Other members of the genus Cyrtocara
Other cichlid species
Other species from Lake Malawi
This beautiful ciclid does well in a shoal
The nuchal hump and snout like mouth give this fish a dolphin-like appearance
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.
When stocking an aquarium, always chose species that tolerate the same water conditions: temperature, pH, hardness and salinity. Read more about water conditions in the aquarium here
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