| Peacock cichlids | |
|---|---|
| Male Freiberg's Peacock, A. jacobfreibergi (red morph) |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Subfamily: | Pseudocrenilabrinae |
| Tribe: | Haplochromini |
| Genus: | Aulonocara Regan, 1922 |
| Diversity | |
| 22 species | |
Aulonocara is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. All Aulonocara species are maternal mouth brooders. Particularly in the aquarium hobby, Aulonocara species are also known as peacock cichlids, aulonocaras or simply "peacocks". This genus is strongly sexually dichromic, even by haplochromine standards.
As aquarium fish, they are best kept with other medium sized non-aggressive cichlids from Lake Malawi. The aquarium is usually decorated with a lot of open space for the Aulonocaras to swim in and a lot of caves where fish can hide, rest or establish territories. It is recommended to keep one male unless the aquarium is large enough to support several territories.
There are 22 described Aulonocara species. Numerous distinct local populations also exist; these may be morphs, subspecies or even undescribed species:[1]