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[anchar]

Peacocks
by Preston Knight

This is an attempt to organise the absolute mess which Aulonocara has found itself in, in this state (WA) and perhaps other states. The misnaming, mismanagement and cross breeding of Aulonocara spp. both domestic and commercial, has led to this problem.

The following is a brief explanation of three species of Aulonocara;
Aulonocara baenschi (Benga), Aulonocara maleri (Gold) and Aulonocara maleri (Chipoka). This will help me get to the point of this and future articles.

Aulonocara spp. are endemic to Lake Malawi. Their natural habitat consists of rocky outcrops, caves, reefs & scattered rocks on a sandy bottom. Food is collected in the characteristic way of all Aulonocara spp. It consists of small invertebrates that live in the sand. The prey is located with the aid of the enlarged cephalic pores on the head of the fish. Hovering just a few millimeters above the sub stratum, without moving a fin, it waits until a tiny movement of a hidden invertebrate is registered by its sensitive acoustic organ, a sudden bite in the sand secures the prey.
All Aulonocara spp. females are mouth brooders, which brings me to the point of this & forth coming articles on this genus.

This is not a total description of each species mentioned, but an explanation of the difference between each species.

Aulonocara baenschi (Benga)
(New Yellow Regal)
A. baenschi is known only from a large reef about 5 km off the coast north of Benga and opposite the Nkhomo River. Attaining a total length of approximately 9cm in the wild, the difference between A. baenschi (Benga) and A. maleri (Gold) is that the head of the A. benga is curved whilst that of A. maleri (Gold) is straight. Both have yellow body and blue head.

Aulonocara sp. maleri (Gold)
(Yellow Peacock)
This species has previously been incorrectly included as A baenschi. A. maleri (Gold), the yellow peacock inhabits three islands: Nankoma, Maleri and Nakantenga Islands. Only the population at Maleri Island has been exploited for export. Aulonocara maleri (Chipoka),
the orange peacock, is the most frequently exported peacock and is found at Chidunga Rocks near Chipoka.

A. maleri (Chipoka) has the same head shape as A. maleri (Gold), but the body is orange not yellow, with a slight blue hue to the body. It is my belief that because of this minor difference that the two species have been mixed together. So when purchasing Aulonocara spp. from a shop or from a breeder please check the species history. If a satisfactory history can’t be given, get a second opinion or just don’t purchase them. Remember people can’t sell mongrels if there is no demand for them.

I hope this brief explanation about these three species will help.

Whilst researching this article I came across an article by John Farrell Kuhns. The following is a portion of that article which I found extremely relevant. For that full article see www.http//PetsForum.com/aquascience/Peacocks.html

Here then, are some criteria for checking whether peacocks being offered for sale are, in fact, legitimate species and worthy of consideration:

(1) Avoid all known or suspected hybrids without exception.
(2) Avoid all peacocks which are exhibiting adult colouration at a juvenile size. These specimens have been artificially coloured, usually with hormones, and most likely will not ever breed successfully.
(3) The breeder, or dealer, demonstrates a level of understanding of why hybrids and / or artificially colour-enhanced peacocks are not desirable for the hobby.
(4) The breeder or dealer keeps the different species and varieties in separate tanks so that there is no chance of accidental hybridizing or of acquiring potential breeders which are not the same kind. (Remember, as juveniles most peacocks closely resemble each other, and even as adults the females of different species are very difficult to tell apart).
(5) The peacock being offered can be referenced to a published
photograph or description (other than a price list).
(6) The name applied to the peacock being offered is one of the standard names (as outlined above) or, if not, can be referenced to one of those names.
(7) The breeder or dealer can provide information on the bona fides of the species being offered. While it may not be in the interest of a dealer to reveal sources of supply to customers, there can be some limited information given as to the background and origin
of the peacocks being offered.

Dealers and hobbyists should freely share information among themselves, about breeders and dealers who are not ethical and/or will not, or cannot, provide the information needed to determine the desirability of the fishes they are selling.