Red Shoulder Peacock

About

This is the peacock whose name may not survive. Described in 1987 from Masinje on Lake Malawi's south-eastern shore, it is known from only four localities packed into a small piece of coast - Masinje, Fort Maguire, Mara Point and Thumbi West Island - and the Catalog of Fishes now files the name as a synonym of the far more variable Aulonocara stuartgranti, the flavescent peacock this catalogue carries as the peacock cichlid. FishBase still lists it as valid, the specialist literature is split, and the trade never blinked: it sells on as red flush, red shoulder, Fort Maguire peacock or firebird cichlid. For a keeper the taxonomy changes nothing and the behaviour changes a lot. Unlike most of the genus, this fish does not spend its life over open sand. At Masinje it prefers rocky caves and crevices in shallow water three to six metres down - the same habit as its larger relative the Malawi butterfly - so it wants both things at once: sand to feed over and rock to live in. Males are metallic blue with the red shoulder patch the name comes from; females are the plain grey-brown every peacock female wears, which is why hobby stock so often turns out to be something other than what the tag said. And whatever the label reads, it interbreeds with the rest of the genus freely. That is part of why the synonymy argument is so hard to settle, and all of why one peacock species per tank is the only safe rule.

Care

A 90 x 45 cm base is the published minimum for the fish itself, about 180 litres; a harem earns more room, so we gate at 120 cm and 220 litres. Sand to sift, rock stacked into caves and crevices - this species uses them rather than merely hiding behind them - and enough structure that a female can drop out of the male's sight line. Hard, alkaline water at pH 7.8-8.4, 10-25 dGH, 24-26 C, changed a little and often rather than a lot and rarely; these cichlids react badly to swings and should never start in a fresh filter. One male to four or more females, because a single female takes the whole of his attention. It is relatively peaceful by Malawi standards with one exception that decides the stocking list: males attack anything patterned like themselves. Differently marked Copadichromis, Placidochromis, Otopharynx lithobates and Labidochromis caeruleus work. A second peacock does not. Plants are safe if hard-water tolerant, and keep a lid on the tank.

Diet

Carnivore that sifts small invertebrates out of sand, finding them by movement with the sensory pores on its head. Cichlid pellets plus frozen brine shrimp, mysis and cyclops in several small meals a day; sand substrate is part of feeding, and protein stays moderate to avoid bloat.

Telling males from females

What works for this species, most reliable first.

• VentingStrong · only on a mature fish, easiest when she is in breeding condition

  The method breeders use when the answer has to be right. Hold the fish upside down in a wet hand or soft net and look at the two openings ahead of the anal fin. The forward one is the anus; the one behind it is what you are reading.

• Egg spotsA hint only · from about 6 months

  The yellow or orange ocelli on the anal fin of Malawi cichlids, traditionally explained as a lure that draws the female into mouthing them, fertilising the eggs she is already holding.

Also in these lists

Similar species

Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.

Health

Disease guide entries relevant to this species — worth a read before you reach for medicine.

Sold in Lithuania

These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.

These links are unpaid: we get nothing for them and ask for nothing.

Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Red Shoulder Peacock need?

A Red Shoulder Peacock needs an aquarium of at least 220 litres (58.1 US gallons) with a footprint at least 120 cm (47.2 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Red Shoulder Peacock need?

Red Shoulder Peacock does best at 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F), pH 7.5–8.6 and a general hardness of 10–25 °dGH.

What group size does a Red Shoulder Peacock need?

Red Shoulder Peacock is a social species — keep a group of at least 5 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Red Shoulder Peacock suitable for beginners?

Red Shoulder Peacock sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.

Sources

• Seriously Fish — Aulonocara hansbaenschi (Red Shoulder Peacock)
• FishBase — Aulonocara hansbaenschi (Aulonocara Fort Maguire)
• AquaInfo — Aulonocara hansbaenschi
• Maidenhead Aquatics (fishkeeper.co.uk) — Red Shouldered Peacock (Aulonocara hansbaenschi)
• Wikipedia — Aulonocara
• Seriously Fish — Aulonocara stuartgranti (Grant's Peacock)