Afra Cichlid (Dogtooth Cichlid)

Cynotilapia afra (ora divisa in Cynotilapia zebroides per le specie a strisce)

The Afra Cichlid (*Cynotilapia afra*) is one of the most sought-after visual gems of Lake Malawi. Also called 'Dogtooth Cichlid' for the unique conformation of its unicuspid teeth visible when it opens its mouth wide to threaten, it sports a dazzling sexual dimorphism: the males explode in colors ranging from cobalt blue to vibrant purple, split by bold and thick vertical black zebra stripes, and sometimes embellished by flushes of golden yellow on the head or back (like the famous 'Cobue' variant). Although not physically huge (it reaches 10 cm / 4 inches), it amply compensates with an open aggression and a leonine courage, often dominating fish much larger than him in the aquarium. It is a splendid fish but not for beginners, requiring strict management of harems and rocky spaces.

Family: Cichlidae
Origin: Africa (Endemico del Lago Malawi, zone rocciose a nord del lago: es. Cobue, Jalo Reef, Likoma)
Tank use: Used in 0 tanks

Temperature

24 °C - 28 °C

7.8 - 8.6

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Zona media e inferiore. Si distaccano spesso dalla barriera rocciosa stazionando a mezz'acqua in attesa del cibo (simulando la caccia allo zooplancton).

Adult size

10 cm

Description

The Planktivorous Dog Teeth:

Unlike other lake cichlids, he has pointed teeth (not flat to scrape algae) and his intestine tolerates and craves meat. Contrary to the Saulosi, you MUST give the Afra frozen protein prey or bloodworms regularly. You will literally see him come out into the open and swim fiercely at half height with his eyes wide open towards the surface hunting for the rain of insects falling from above.

Care and observations

The Condemnation of the Photocopy (Avoid Striped Mbunas):

The blue Afra with black stripes mortally hates anything that resembles it. If out of inexperience you let the store sell you a *Pseudotropheus demasoni* (which is also dark blue with black stripes and is cheap), you have signed the death warrant of one of the two. The Afra male will not make discounts: he will spend day and night ramming and biting the other fish, blocking its access to food until he kills it because he sees it as a rival male identical to himself. Insert it ONLY with yellow (Yellow lab) or orange fish.

The Faded Male (Never Put Two In):

Another tragic mistake of those who buy them is expecting to have two extremely colored males in the same 1 meter (3 feet) tank. Forget it. The tank will ALWAYS have only one king (Alpha). The dominant male will take on the dazzling electric blue-purple tiger coloration. The other male, submissive and terrified, in order not to be killed will magically "turn off" his colors becoming opaque mouse-grey to look like a female and go unnoticed.

The Lifesaving Harem for Females:

Since the females are completely dull grey, people don't buy them so as not to make the aquarium ugly. By buying the male alone, he will go crazy and become the hitman of the entire tank, picking on the other fish. You are ethically obliged to buy AT LEAST 4 (ugly) females for each male. Only in this way will he behave naturally: he will huff all day trying to mate in rotation with them and venting his intra-species testosterone, ignoring and leaving the other aquarium guests in peace.

Fish profile

Temperament: Feroce, sfrontato e ultra-territoriale. Non ha paura di niente. Un maschio di Cynotilapia afra in fregola riproduttiva attaccherà impavidamente pesci due volte la sua stazza per difendere la sua caverna nuziale e il suo Harem.
Diet: Onnivoro tendente al carnivoro (Planctivoro). Non vanno incontro al letale 'Bloat' erbivoro come gli Pseudotropheus. Anzi, necessitano di buone quantità di proteine: mysis, krill, artemia e granulati proteici di alta qualità, sempre bilanciati da una componente di spirulina verde per simulare lo stomaco delle loro prede.
Tank level: Zona media e inferiore. Si distaccano spesso dalla barriera rocciosa stazionando a mezz'acqua in attesa del cibo (simulando la caccia allo zooplancton).
Minimum group: 4
Adult size: 10 cm
Minimum tank: 200 L
GH: 10 dGH - 25 dGH
KH: n/a
TDS: n/a
Conductivity: n/a
Sex ratio: Harem Gigante Tassativo (1 maschio dominante e MINIMO 4-5 femmine). MAI DUE MASCHI: Il più forte sbiadirà a morte il secondo o lo ucciderà. Le femmine sono di un grigio-marrone sbiadito e anonimo (a volte azzurro pallido), totalmente prive delle vistose bande nere da zebra maschili. Il colore del maschio si accende solo se si sente padrone incontrastato.
Feeding frequency: 1-2 volte al giorno. Famelici in superficie.
Bioload: Medio-Alto
Flow: Corrente da Moderata a Forte. Adorano nuotare controcorrente verso il flusso delle pompe di movimento per simulare la cattura del plancton alla deriva.
Reproduction: Incubatori orali materni. Riproduzione affascinante ma brutale. Il maschio attirerà la femmina nella sua caverna tremando furiosamente (Shimmying). La femmina sputerà fuori decine di piccoli dopo quasi 4 settimane, durante le quali dovrà potersi nascondere perfettamente per non essere uccisa per il troppo stress dal maschio che rivuole accoppiarsi.
Compatibility: Convivenza Esplosiva (Richiede Massima Attenzione). Eccellente con Labidochromis caeruleus (Gialli) e Iodotropheus (Ruggine). DIVIETO TOTALE ASSOLUTO: MAI abbinarlo al *Pseudotropheus demasoni* o a qualsiasi pesce di taglia simile che sia Blu con Bande Nere. La somiglianza cromatica attiverà una competizione per l'annientamento totale tra le due specie.

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.