Goldbelly naevochromis

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a large, predatory Malawi cichlid best kept singly or as one male with a few sturdy females, never crowded with rivals. It patrols the lower water among rock and open sand and can be pushy, so give it a big tank of at least 450 liters and keep it with robust haps of similar size that can take the pressure. It is a specialist that hunts the eggs and fry of other cichlids in the wild, so do not house it with mouthbrooding females whose broods you hope to raise. In the tank it readily takes prepared foods: quality cichlid pellets, plus frozen and meaty foods, with some variety. Avoid small fish, which it will treat as food.

In the wild

The goldbelly cichlid ranges over the rocky and intermediate zones of Lake Malawi, hunting among the stones. Match the lake's chemistry with hard, alkaline water at 24–27 C and about pH 7.5–8.5, and provide substantial rockwork arranged into caves and territories with stretches of open sand between. Strong filtration and regular water changes keep this large fish in good condition.

Good to know

Naevochromis chrysogaster is the only species in its genus, a member of the family Cichlidae reaching about 18 centimeters. The genus name comes from the Latin for a birthmark or blotch, for the dark markings on its body, while chrysogaster means golden bellied. It is a maternal mouthbrooder with a specialized taste for the eggs and young of other cichlids, a habit that makes it difficult to breed reliably in captivity.

Did you know

In the wild it is a paedophage, a cichlid that feeds on the eggs and fry of others, and it is thought to harass brooding females into releasing the young it then eats.

Common questions

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