Golden Mbuna Cichlid

Melanochromis auratus

Common Names: Golden cichlid, gold mbuna, auratus

Type Locality: Monkey Bay, west coast of Lake Malawi

Range: From Jalo Reef southward along the entire west coast down to Crocodile Rocks

Taxonomic Troubles: Originally described in several other genera over the years, including Tilapia and Pseudotropheus.

Size: 13 cm TL (5 inches)

Preferred Water Chemistry: Tropical, hard, and basic

Difficulty: Despite its ubiquity, hardiness, and low price, this is not a species for the novice. It is very difficult to manage aggression in this species.

Tank Setup: Needs a large tank with plenty of rockpiles or other hiding places

Feeding: An algae and aufwuchs grazer

Breeding: Breeds rapidly. It is a polygamous maternal mouthbrooder, like all mbuna

Fish Description
Juveniles, subdominant males, and most females will be golden with black horizontal stripes. A dominant male will be the negative image, with purplish black background and bluish white stripes.