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Fish Of The Month - Aulonacara Baenschi "nkhomo"


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#1 Stormfyre

Stormfyre

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Posted 24 March 2018 - 04:45 PM

As the Fish of the Month for April, there will a bag of 5 x Aulonacara baenschi "Nkhomo" around 5-6cm available at the PCS Meeting for auction. These are special lots to raise money for Stuart Grant Fund for Cichlid Preservation and have kindly been donated by one of our PCS Members - Stormfyre (Mike).

 

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Aulonacara baenschi.

This species can be found on Nkhomo Reef near Benga, Malawi.

 

The peacocks are among the most stunning of all Cichlids. There is a reason why they've earned the name "Peacock" and Aulonacara baenschi is no exception. Males of this species take on a strong yellowish-orange color with irridescent blue around their jaw.

 

Females, like other Aulonacara sp. remain colorless. Often it takes males almost two full years to attain their maximum coloration, but the wait is well worth it. Baenschi are easily distinguished from other yellow-bodied, blue-headed peacocks because of the extremely curved forehead and nose.

 

Common names: Nkhomo-Benga Peacock, Sunshine Peacock, Yellow Regal,

 

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Size

Males up to 13cm/5” in length. Females smaller.

 

Classification

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Cichlidae (Cichlids) > Pseudocrenilabrinae
Etymology: Aulonocara

 

Distribution

Endemic to Lake Malawi; reported from in Chipoka, Maleri Islands, Nkhomo, and Usisya.

 

Like many peacocks, Aulonacara baenschi is found in areas with scattered rocks on a sandy bottom, but particularly in the region surrounding Nkhomo reef near Benga in Malawi.

 

Diet

Like all Aulonocara species, Aulonocara baenschi has sensory pores on its face. With these they can sense movement underground on the lake floor from worms, snails, insect larvae, etc. 

 

It feeds on invertebrates that dwell in the sand by lying motionless over the sandy bottom, sensing micro-movements in the substrate. When it finds a target, it darts rapidly into the sand and sifts it by shooting the sand out its gills while retaining the acquired treat.

 

They are carnivorous - as such, in the aquarium it prefers live foods such as blood worms, snails or brine shrimp, but will generally accept frozen, quality flake or quality pellet foods. 

 

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*Wild variant from Chipoka.

 

Maintenance

Semi aggressive. Generally peaceful but may become territorial, particularly while spawning. Aulonocara baenschi is pretty easy to care for. The fish is generally shy and peaceful, but once in a while, a rogue male will develop.

 

In the aquarium environment, this cichlid species is best kept with other docile cichlids. Mbuna are too rambunctious for this slow-moving and peaceful peacock. Other peacocks and many of the gregarious Haps and Utaka (e.g., C. moorii, O. lithobates, and Copadichromis spp.) work well as tank mates. They should also be kept in tanks no smaller than 50 gallons if kept with other species as they reach adult lengths of 4-5 inches.

 

Larger sandy areas are required for feding and plenty of swimming areas. Some rocks to the rear and sides of the aquarium for aggression and breeding.

 

Water Changes: To prevent the water from becoming too polluted, it is recommended to carry out a monthly renewal of 20% to 30% of the volume of water. Be careful, the added water must be at a temperature close to that of the aquarium.

 

Temperature: 78-82°F (24-26°C)   pH: 7.8-8.6 dH range: 10 - 25

 

Character

The Aulonocara, along with the Utaka Cichlids Copadichromis and other non-Mbuna's, are members of the Haplochromis group. Haplochromis is the type genus of free-roaming browsers sometimes call "haps". They live in more sandy areas and open waters, and are generally larger cichlids than their Mbuna "rock-dwelling" counterparts. They also are more peaceful cichlids and should not be housed with the highly active and aggressive Mbunas.

 

The fish has a mellower temperament than other peacock cichlids. Even when spawning, they are less aggressive. Consequently there is a greater selection of tank mates you can keep with this cichlid species. They are also easy to care for, thus making them a desirable pet. Provide open space for swimming and a lot of caves in which to hide, sleep, or breed. Water changes that are frequent also help in keeping this cichlid. They will eat a meaty diet and have an almost puppy like excitability when being fed, thus adding to their appeal.

 

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Spawning

Aulonocara baenschi is not hard to breed. Once you get the fish breeding they will spawn readily. Spawning is typical for peacocks.

The Sunshine Peacock has a mouth brooding term of about 21-24 days. The eggs are relatively small, and numerous. The females generally hold term with no issues. Fry grow quickly, hitting an inch within a month. 

 

A 40-gallon aquarium with only 1 male and 6 females would be an ideal breeding set up. Males tend to be rather aggressive towards females; therefore, it is recommended keeping several females for each male in order to reduce the level of aggression directed at any one female. Broods for adult-sized females range anywhere from 20 to 40 fry.

 

Peacock Cichlids are ovophile mouth brooders that form a matriarch family. The pair should be conditioned separately on mosquito larvae, blood worms, and crustaceans. The water should have a pH from 8.0-8.2, a water hardness 10-18 dH, and a warmer temperature of 79-84F (26-29C). The female spawns a small number of eggs on the rocky bottom. These are fertilized by way of the dummy-egg method. The young should be raised on newly hatched Artemia and fine-grade flake foods. 

 

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Notes

An elongated, high backed cichlid. This Peacock has large lips and eyes. The pelvic and pectoral fins are elongated. Four color morphs are occasionally available to the hobby. The most common is the blue-yellow morph from Chipoka. Its head is usually indigo blue and 6-8 indigo blue vertical stripes can be found on the rear part of the fish. The first is located around the mid-section of the fish, while the last is at the base of the caudal fin. The body, from the gill cover to the stripes, including the forehead, is yellow. The fins, except for the pectoral, are yellow with the tail also having a marbling of blue. The pectoral fins are transparent. A popular, new color morph from Nkoma/Benga is all yellow except for the lower half of the head and the pale 6-8 blue stripes.

 

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