Melanochromis auratus (Boulenger, 1897)
Golden mbuna
Melanochromis auratus
photo by JJPhoto

Family:  Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae
Max. size:  11 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; freshwater; pH range: 7 - 8.5; dH range: 10 - 15
Distribution:  Africa: endemic to Lake Malawi (Ref. 5663, 89864).
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Found in rocky habitats. Feeds from the biocover by nibbling and picking on the algae (Ref. 5595). Aquarium keeping: aggressive towards conspecifics; many females for one male; minimum aquarium size 100 cm (Ref. 51539).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 20 June 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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