Cichlids - African

Explore all cichlids - african in our database. Browse detailed care guides, compatibility information, and species data to find the perfect fish for your aquarium.

Showing 1 - 24 of 83 Fish Profiles

Afra Cichlid

Cynotilapia afra

Cichlids - African

10 cm Aggressive

A highly active and aggressive Mbuna (rock-dwelling cichlid) endemic to Lake Malawi. Distinctive for their unicuspid 'dog-like' teeth, they natively feed on zooplankton in the water column but remain tied to rocky territories. They require a hard, alkaline water environment with abundant rockwork for hiding and establishing territories. Best kept in a densely stocked, carefully managed species harem or Mbuna community to disperse extreme aggression.

African Butterfly Cichlid

Anomalochromis thomasi

Cichlids - African

7.5 cm Mostly Peaceful

A peaceful, colorful dwarf cichlid from West Africa. Unlike many cichlids, it is plant-safe and generally suitable for community tanks. It is famous in the hobby as an efficient biological control for pest snails.

African Jewel Cichlid

Hemichromis bimaculatus

Cichlids - African

14 cm Aggressive

A strikingly beautiful but notoriously aggressive West African riverine cichlid. Unlike the alkaline-loving Rift Lake cichlids (e.g., Mbuna), Jewel Cichlids prefer neutral, softer water parameters. They are renowned for their brilliant red breeding dress and iridescent blue spots, but also for their extreme territoriality, especially when forming pairs and spawning. They are avid diggers and will uproot most plants.

Altolamprologus Calvus

Altolamprologus calvus

Cichlids - African

14 cm Semi-Aggressive

A highly specialized predator endemic to Lake Tanganyika. Famous for its scaleless forehead ('calvus' meaning bald) and an extremely laterally compressed body, which allows it to slip into narrow rock crevices to hunt fry and steal eggs. They are notoriously slow growers, taking years to reach full size. While they are lethal to fry and small nano-fish, they are remarkably peaceful towards similarly-sized tank mates.

Altolamprologus Compressiceps

Altolamprologus compressiceps

Cichlids - African

13 cm Semi-Aggressive

A highly specialized, predatory African Cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika. It features an extremely laterally compressed (paper-thin) body and steep forehead, designed to slip into narrow rocky crevices to hunt fry and invertebrates. They are notorious for their very slow growth rate and heavily 'armored' scales.

Auratus Cichlid (Mbuna)

Melanochromis auratus

Cichlids - African

11 cm Highly Aggressive

The Auratus Cichlid is a stunning but notoriously aggressive Mbuna from Lake Malawi. They exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism. They are strictly rock-dwellers that graze on algae (aufwuchs). Due to their hyper-aggressive nature, they must be kept in species-only or carefully managed, overstocked Mbuna setups with a strict harem ratio (1 male to several females) to disperse aggression.

Aurora Yellow Mbuna

Metriaclima sp. "Aurora Yellow"

Cichlids - African

11 cm Aggressive

A striking and highly active Mbuna from Lake Malawi, scientifically described as Metriaclima mossambicum. Like most Mbuna, they are fiercely territorial rock-dwellers that require hard, alkaline water. They are specialized algae grazers (Aufwuchs feeders) and need a heavily plant-based diet to prevent deadly digestive issues like 'Malawi Bloat'. They must be kept in a harem structure (one male to multiple females) to disperse their severe aggression.

Azureus Cichlid

Copadichromis azureus

Cichlids - African

16 cm Semi-Aggressive

A stunning open-water 'Utaka' cichlid from Lake Malawi. Males develop a spectacular metallic blue coloration, making them popular centerpieces in African Cichlid tanks. Compared to rock-dwelling Mbuna, they are relatively peaceful open-water swimmers but still require ample swimming space and hard, alkaline water.

Black Diamond Cichlid

Paratilapia polleni

Cichlids - African

28 cm Aggressive

A striking, highly intelligent cichlid native to the island of Madagascar. Commonly known as the Starry Night Cichlid due to its velvety jet-black body covered in brilliant iridescent white, blue, or gold spots. They possess a large mouth and are piscivorous (fish-eating), making them a threat to smaller tank mates. They are robust, aggressively territorial, and best kept as solitary showpiece fish or in heavily managed, large cichlid communities.

Black Ocellatus

Lamprologus speciosus

Cichlids - African

6.5 cm Aggressive

The Black Ocellatus is a highly entertaining and fiercely territorial shell-dwelling cichlid from Lake Tanganyika. Despite their tiny size, they have a massive personality and will vigorously defend their chosen snail shell from fish much larger than themselves. They require a sandy substrate to bury their shells and hard, alkaline water to thrive.

Blue Dolphin (Hap)

Cyrtocara moorii

Cichlids - African

25 cm Semi-Aggressive

A striking blue Lake Malawi Haplochromine cichlid famous for the pronounced nuchal hump (head bump) that develops in mature adults, resembling a dolphin. They are benthopelagic micro-predators that naturally follow digging fish in the wild to catch stirred-up morsels. While relatively peaceful for an African Cichlid, they grow very large and require extensive swimming space and hard, alkaline water.

Blue Tilapia

Oreochromis aureus

Cichlids - African

35 cm Semi-Aggressive

A robust, large-growing African cichlid famous for its hardiness, high growth rate, and commercial value. In the aquarium, they are highly active, extremely messy, and will systematically destroy any live plants or intricate hardscape by digging massive crater nests. They are highly adaptable to various water conditions, including brackish water.

Brevis Shelldweller

Neolamprologus brevis

Cichlids - African

6 cm Semi-Aggressive

A fascinating miniature African Cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika, famous for making its home inside empty snail shells. Uniquely among Tanganyikan shell dwellers, the male and female Brevis will often share the exact same shell. They require hard, alkaline water, a sandy substrate (for burying their shells), and plenty of appropriately sized shells (like escargot shells) to thrive.

Buccochromis lepturus

Cichlids - African

40 cm Semi-Aggressive

A massive, open-water predator native to Lake Malawi. They are pelagic pursuit hunters that will consume any fish small enough to fit in their mouths. Due to their enormous adult size and extreme swimming speed, they require exceptionally large aquariums. They should only be housed with other large, robust Malawi cichlids.

Buccochromis rhoadesii

Cichlids - African

35 cm Aggressive

A massive, apex-predator Haplochromine cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi. They are open-water pursuit predators characterized by an immense mouth and a distinct diagonal stripe across the body. Due to their enormous adult size and strictly piscivorous nature, they require massive aquariums and can only be housed with similarly large, robust species. Any tank mate small enough to fit in their mouth will be eaten.

Buffalo Head Cichlid

Steatocranus casuarius

Cichlids - African

11 cm Semi-Aggressive

A highly unique, riverine cichlid native to the fast-flowing rapids of the Congo River. It possesses a reduced swim bladder, meaning it 'hops' or 'jerks' along the bottom rather than swimming freely in the water column. Unlike Rift Lake African cichlids, it requires softer, neutral-to-acidic water and exceptionally high oxygenation/flow. They form strong monogamous pairs.

Bumblebee Cichlid

Pseudotropheus crabro

Cichlids - African

15 cm Aggressive

A robust and highly aggressive Mbuna from Lake Malawi. They are famous for their rapid color changes; while females and juveniles boast striking yellow and black 'bumblebee' bars, dominant males turn almost completely pitch black. In the wild, they are opportunistic feeders that clean parasites from large catfish and steal their eggs.

Butterfly Peacock Cichlid

Aulonocara jacobfreibergi

Cichlids - African

15 cm Semi-Aggressive

One of the most colorful and slightly more aggressive Peacock cichlids from Lake Malawi. They are obligate sand-sifters that search for benthic invertebrates. They require hard, alkaline water and plenty of rocky caves. Like most Aulonocara, they exhibit extreme sexual dimorphism.

Chipokae Mbuna

Melanochromis chipokae

Cichlids - African

12 cm Highly Aggressive

A highly aggressive, torpedo-shaped Mbuna cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi. Known for intense sexual dimorphism, this species is extremely territorial. They require a rock-heavy setup to provide caves and break sightlines, along with hard, alkaline water. They graze on algae (Aufwuchs) and require a low-protein diet to prevent Malawi bloat.

Chisumulu Pearl Cichlid

Labidochromis chisumulae

Cichlids - African

8 cm Semi-Aggressive

An endemic Mbuna from Chisumulu Island in Lake Malawi. It is considered one of the 'dwarf' and relatively peaceful Mbuna species, closely related to the popular Yellow Lab. They are rock-dwellers that require hard, alkaline water, plenty of rock caves, and a sandy substrate for digging.

Christmas Fulu

Xystichromis phytophagus

Cichlids - African

11 cm Semi-Aggressive

A critically endangered African cichlid (extinct in Lake Victoria, now found primarily in Lake Kanyaboli) famous for the male's festive red, green, and blue colors. Like many Victorian haplochromines, they are active, aggressive, and best kept in rock-scaped tanks with hard, alkaline water. They are harem breeders and require a strict male-to-female ratio to manage aggression.

Cobalt Blue Zebra

Metriaclima callainos

Cichlids - African

11 cm Aggressive

A striking and highly active Mbuna cichlid endemic to the rocky shores of Lake Malawi. Known for its brilliant, solid cobalt blue coloration (though white morphs exist). Like most Mbuna, they are highly territorial, rock-grazing herbivores. They require an alkaline environment, a sandy substrate for digging, and extensive rockwork to establish territories. To manage aggression, they are best kept either in heavily populated, mixed all-male Mbuna tanks or in species harems (1 male to 3+ females).

Cyprichromis Leptosoma

Cyprichromis leptosoma

Cichlids - African

11 cm Mostly Peaceful

A unique, pelagic (open-water) schooling cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika. Unlike rock-dwelling African cichlids, 'Cyps' live in massive shoals in the open water column where males display to females in spectacular 3D territories. They require very hard, alkaline water and a long tank (minimum 4 feet / 120cm) to accommodate their active swimming behavior.

Deep Water Hap (Placidochromis electra)

Placidochromis electra

Cichlids - African

16 cm Semi-Aggressive

An attractive and relatively peaceful 'Hap' from Lake Malawi. As its common name suggests, it is naturally found in deeper waters over sandy substrates where it sifts for invertebrates. They are popular in 'all-male' Hap/Peacock community tanks due to their stunning blue coloration and mild temperament compared to Mbuna.