Blue gold peacock

Aulonocara korneliae

Also known as Chizumulu peacock, Korneliae aulonocara, Blue and gold peacock

FreshwaterFish

Blue gold peacock (Aulonocara korneliae) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 7.5–8.5
Adult size: 3.9 in (10 cm)
Minimum tank: 63 gal (240 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Malawi, Chizumulu Island
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a small, comparatively gentle peacock cichlid from Lake Malawi, kept the usual peacock way: one male with several females so his attention and mild aggression are spread across the group. It patrols the lower part of the tank over open sand between rocks, sifting the bottom for small invertebrates. It stays peaceful for a Malawi cichlid, but keep it away from larger, pushier peacocks and haps that will outshine and bully it. Feed sinking pellets, frozen mysis, brine shrimp, and cyclops in small regular amounts. A tank of around 240 liters or more, at least four feet long, gives the harem room.

In the wild

Aulonocara korneliae is found only around Chizumulu Island in Lake Malawi, where males hold territories where rock meets sand and females gather in loose schools nearby. Set the tank up with a sandy floor, scattered rock structure with caves, and open sand for foraging. The lake is hard and alkaline, so hold 24 to 27 C and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5 with strong filtration.

Good to know

Aulonocara korneliae belongs to the cichlid family and reaches about 10 centimeters, small for a peacock. Males lay a warm gold wash over deep blue flanks, while females stay plain silver-brown. Like other Aulonocara it is a maternal mouthbrooder of medium difficulty, the female holding eggs and fry in her mouth for around three weeks. Peacocks are set apart by sensory pits on the head that they use to detect small prey buried in the sand.

Did you know

The species name korneliae honors Kornelia Meyer, wife of the German aquarist Manfred Meyer, who helped bring the fish to notice. The male's gold-over-blue coloring is why the trade calls it the blue gold peacock.

Tank mates

Blue gold peacock is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.