Cynotilapia afra

Scientific name: Cynotilapia afra G?nther, 1894

Cynotilapia afra

Cynotilapia afra is a freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae that grows to about 10 cm (3.9 in). It is easy to keep and aggressive and needs a tank of at least 210 L (55 US gal), water at 23–28°C (73–82°F) and a pH of 8.0–8.5. Native range: Africa, Endemic to Lake Malawi.

Cynotilapia afra care at a glance

Care level
Easy
Temperament
Aggressive
Adult size
10 cm (3.9 in)
Minimum tank
210 L (55 US gal)
Temperature
23–28°C (73–82°F)
pH
8.0–8.5
Diet
Omnivore. Accepts flakes, frozen foods and spirulina.

Biology

Found common in the upper part of the rocky biotope which is usually sediment-free. Males which are territorial mainly feed from the biocover on the rocks close to their homestead while others which are more gregarious feed on plankton.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Cynotilapia afra
Family
Cichlidae (Cichlids)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
10.1
Depth range
3–30 m (10–98 ft)
Environment
Freshwater;; pH range: 8.0 - 8.5; dH range: 15 - ? benthopelagic; depth range 3 - 30 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Africa: Endemic to Lake Malawi. Indigenous to the central and northern parts of the Lake.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Aquarium: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

More african cichlids

See all african cichlids

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.

Last updated