This interesting cichlid, the genus is monotypic with Aulonocanus dewindti, so currently only this one species is assigned to it, originates from Lake Tanganyika. The up to 14 cm long species is a mouth-breeder in the female sex and lives in the lake over sandy areas. Here the males dig pits in the sand, that serve as breeding sites. Not much has yet been written about the beautiful fish, presumably because they appear somewhat inconspicuously silvery in neutral coloration and therefore seem unattractive. They are a bit shy open water animals, but they also like to look for food on the ground. They peck into the sand in almost vertical posture. A. dewindti is best cared for in a group, in the wild they swim in schools of sometimes several hundred specimens. The sexes are easy to distinguish with sexually mature animals (from approx. 6-8 cm of length), the females have rounded fins, the males pointed.
For our customers: the animals have code 502984 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
