Daffodil cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

A colony thrives in a tank of 110 liters or larger built from stacked rock with many caves. Water should be hard and alkaline at 24 to 27 C, pH 7.8 to 9.0. They are peaceful with dither fish like Cyprichromis but turn fierce around their nests, so give them room. Feed frozen and dry foods such as cyclops, brine shrimp and quality pellets.

In the wild

The daffodil comes from rocky slopes in the south of Lake Tanganyika. It lives in large colonies among the rocks, darting into cracks and caves when threatened. Big colonies contain several generations of fish that all help defend the group.

Good to know

Neolamprologus pulcher is a cooperative breeder, meaning older offspring stay home and help raise later broods instead of leaving. It is very closely related to the lyretail cichlid and the two are sometimes treated as one species. Its cream body, yellow tinted fins and blue flecked gill covers separate it from the plainer brichardi.

Did you know

Studies of this fish are a major source of what scientists know about cooperative breeding and helper behavior in animals.

Related species

• 

  Lemon cichlid

  Neolamprologus leleupi

  4.5 in (11.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Lyretail cichlid

  Neolamprologus brichardi

  3.9 in (10 cm)29 gal (110 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Cylindricus cichlid

  Neolamprologus cylindricus

  4.7 in (12 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Caudopunctatus

  Neolamprologus caudopunctatus

  2.8 in (7 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–79°F (24–26°C)

• 

  Five-bar cichlid

  Neolamprologus tretocephalus

  5.9 in (15 cm)53 gal (200 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)

• 

  Brevis Shell Dweller

  Neolamprologus brevis

  2.4 in (6 cm)16 gal (60 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)