Malawi hawk cichlid

Aristochromis christyi

Also known as Hawk hap, Christyi hap

FreshwaterFish

Malawi hawk cichlid (Aristochromis christyi) — 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: 11.8 in (30 cm)
Minimum tank: 159 gal (600 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Malawi
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

A large, slow-moving predator for a big Malawi hap tank. It is solitary and aggressive, so keep it singly or as one male with a couple of females, not in a group of rivals. It stalks along the boundary between rock and sand, then strikes sideways at smaller fish, so tankmates must be big enough not to look like prey and tough enough to share space with a hunter. Feed meaty foods such as quality pellets and frozen fare, never small feeder fish. It outgrows casual plans, so give it 600 liters or more of length.

In the wild

Aristochromis christyi hunts along the rock-to-sand transition in Lake Malawi, drifting close to cover where smaller cichlids shelter. A tank for it wants a sand floor, substantial rockwork along the back and sides, and open water in front for it to patrol and turn. The water needs to stay hard, alkaline and warm, 24 to 27 C at a pH of 7.5 to 8.5, with heavy filtration to cope with a large predator.

Good to know

This species belongs to the Cichlidae and reaches about 30 centimeters, with an elongate body, a bulbous head and a hooked snout, marked by a dark diagonal band running from the eye toward the tail. It is a maternal mouthbrooder, and breeding it reliably in a tank is hard. In the wild it preys on smaller mbuna, hunting them among the rocks.

Did you know

True to its hawk nickname it often attacks tilted onto its side, rolling its body so it can slip that long, hooked snout into rock cracks after hidden fish and fry that a level approach could never reach.