Cyrtocara

Cyrtocara moorii, commonly known as the hump-head, is a species of haplochromine cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi in east Africa where they prefer areas with sandy substrates. It can grow to a length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in) TL. The species is popular among aquarium keepers where it is known as the hump-head cichlid, blue dolphin cichlid, Malawi dolphin or simply as moorii. It is currently the only known member of its genus.[2] The specific name honours the English cytologist and biologist John Edmund Sharrock Moore (1870-1947).[3]

Cyrtocara
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cichliformes
Family: Cichlidae
Subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae
Tribe: Haplochromini
Genus: Cyrtocara
Boulenger, 1902
Species:
C. moori
Binomial name
Cyrtocara moori
Boulenger, 1902

Description

They are varying shades of blue, ranging from turquoise to a silvery-blue, and grow a distinctive hump on their forehead. The male is usually brighter blue than the female.[4]

Aquarium care

The Malawi dolphin is best kept at temperatures of 75–78 °F. It is relatively tame except when it is spawning.

The minimum aquarium size should be 48 gallons but increased as the fish grows larger.[4]

See also

References
  1. Konings, A. (2018). "Cyrtocara moorii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T60920A47222800. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T60920A47222800.en.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Cyrtocara moorii" in FishBase. February 2013 version.
  3. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 July 2018). "Order CICHLIFORMES: Family CICHLIDAE: Subfamily PSEUDOCRENILABRINAE (a-g)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  4. "Blue Dolphin Cichlid Care and Breeding | The Aquarium Club". theaquarium.club. Retrieved 2017-11-04.


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