Blue Dolphin Cichlid - Cyrtocara moorii is an attractive, peaceful Malawi cichlid that is ideal for larger community tanks.
Blue Dolphin Cichlid, also called as hump-head cichlid, blue dolphin cichlid, Malawi dolphin and its scientific name Cyrtocara moorii, is an attractive, peaceful Malawi cichlid that is ideal for larger community tanks.
BLUE DOLPHIN CICHLID DESCRIPTION
Blue Dolphin Cichlid is endemic to Lakes Malawi and Malombe. It is widespread throughout Lake Malawi where it was common in the south. They mainly inhabits sandy soils but is also found in the transitional biotopes between rocks and sand. They are mainly found in shallow water of 3-15 meters in depth.
The fish will grow in length up to 25 cm, with a life span of 10-15 years when cared for appropriately. They are varying shades of blue, ranging from turquoise to a silvery-blue with faint black banding, and grow a distinctive hump on their forehead. While many other Malawi cichlids have geographical colour variants within the same species, this species has no discernible colour difference, impressive considering their extensive distribution.
Cyrtocara moorii shows minimal sexual dimorphism, therefore can be difficult to sex. Both species exhibit the blue dolphin nuchal hump and colouration is identical. The male is usually brighter blue and will grow larger than the female. The species is slow to reach sexual maturity (about 2 years) and begin spawning.
BLUE DOLPHIN CICHLID CARE:
Blue Dolphin Cichlid is a shoaling species and is best maintained in a group between 5 -10 individuals. The fish is generally a peaceful Malawi cichlid. Males can become more territorial when spawning, but for the most part this fish is a great community cichlid.
In the aquarium hobby, Cyrtocara moorii grow fairly large and thus requires a good sized aquarium of at least 100 gallons or more. Provide them a sandy substrate with plenty of open swimming area and plenty of rocky caves and rock piles. A mix of sand and aragonite works well for this species as it gives the substrate a good texture and also helps to buffer the water parameters. The water temperature should be around 24-28°C with pH level of 7.8-8.2.
In the wild, this species is classed as a micro-predator. It will follow closely behind substrate digging cichlids, feeding on the small crustaceans and particles that get stirred up in their wake. In aquaria, it can be fed flake foods, freeze-dried foods, pellets, brine shrimp, water bugs, and small crustaceans. As a supplement, it can be fed small pieces of hamburger and vegetables such as lettuce and zucchini.
BLUE DOLPHIN CICHLID BREEDING:
Cyrtocara moorii take about 2 years to reach sexual maturity and begin spawning. As spawning nears, the male will tend to develop more vivid coloration and begin to display more often to the female. The male will also begin digging a nest in the substrate in which the female can lay her eggs. Normally male do not defend territory, but for spawning, he makes a temporary exception and defends the place he has chosen. He lures the female to his spawning site. The male will fertilize the eggs once laid, then the female will pick the eggs up into her mouth for protection. The nests usually consist of 30 to 90 youngs.
Approximately 20 days later the eggs will begin to hatch and the young fry will be release from their mothers mouth in about a weeks time. At this point, the fry can be placed in a grow-out tank. It is recommended to put the female in her own tank before she releases the fry. This will keep the fry safe because the female is too weak to fend off predators.
The fry can be fed finely ground flake and live baby brine shrimp. The fry is very slow-growing. To encourage growth, a daily water change of 15% can be done in the grow-out tank. For breeding, as is typical with other mouth brooders, the Blue Dolphin Cichlid does best with a single large male and multiple females in the same aquarium.
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