Konings' peacock

Aulonocara koningsi

Also known as Mbenji peacock, Koningsi aulonocara, Blue regal peacock, Mbenji royal blue peacock

FreshwaterFish

Konings' peacock (Aulonocara koningsi) — 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: 4.3 in (11 cm)
Minimum tank: 63 gal (240 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Origin: Lake Malawi, Mbenji Island
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

Keep Aulonocara koningsi as a harem, one male to three or more females, over sand with stone edges the male can adopt as a display site. Peacocks hunt by hovering over sand and listening for invertebrates moving below it, so a fine soft substrate matters more than decor. It is peaceful for a Malawi cichlid and belongs with other peacocks and calm haps, not mbuna. Feed a quality granule with frozen cyclops and brine shrimp, and go easy on bloodworm.

In the wild

Aulonocara koningsi is restricted to Mbenji Island in Lake Malawi, where it works the sand aprons at the base of the rocks. Keep it at 24 to 27 degrees Celsius and pH 7.5 to 8.5 in hard alkaline water, with a deep sand bed and rockwork set around the edges rather than through the middle.

Good to know

Aulonocara koningsi reaches about 11 centimeters. Mbenji males layer cobalt over a copper-orange body under a sky-blue dorsal, and the color holds year round once they mature, while females stay plain brown as in all peacocks. It is a maternal mouthbrooder and spawns readily. The hard part is keeping bloodlines clean, because peacock species hybridize easily.

Did you know

Konings described half the peacock shelf; colleagues returned the favor by writing him onto this one.

Tank mates

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