The Aulonocara “Blue Gold” (Roberti) is also called the Orange Shoulder Peacock, and like its name implies has a gorgeous blue and gold coloring with a pronounced orangish 'shoulder'!
A relatively small sized Peacock, the Aulonocara “Blue Gold” reaches only about 4 inches (11 cm). It is beautifully colored as well as hardy and easy to care for, thus making them a desirable pet. Provide open space for swimming, a sandy substrate, and a lot of caves to which to hide, sleep, or breed. Water changes that are frequent also help in keeping this cichlid. They will eat a meaty diet and have an almost puppy like excitability when being fed, thus adding to their appeal.
The Aulonocara “Blue Gold” Roberti or Orange Shoulder Peacock shown above is often described as a variety of Aulonocara Korneli and it is also described as a separate species, Aulonocara Roberti. Our research shows that being a variety of A. Korneliae (a validly described species) is probably most likely, and that the second description (as a separate species) is not confirmed and is a trivial naming. The coloring is very similar in both varieties though this fish, the A. k. "Roberti" has more orange. This is especially noticeable in the orange band behind its head and more orange on its dorsal fin. It is also very similar to the "Red Shoulder Peacock" or Aulonocara Fort Maguire which is a different but closely related species.
Distribution:
The Aulonocara “Blue Gold” were described by Meyer, Riehl and Zetzsche in 1987and are endemic to Chisumulu Island in Lake Malawi, Africa. They are often found over rocky areas with males inhabiting caves and females foraging for food in large schools over sandy areas. They feed on sand-dwelling invertebrates, having special sensory pores on the jaws that help them to find crustaceans in the sand.
There are 23 Aulonocara species, though other subspecies exist.
Status:
This species is listed on the IUCN Red List as VN - meaning Vulnerable.
Description:
The male Aulonocara “Blue Gold” Roberti or Orange Shoulder Peacock is blue on the head and the back two thirds of its body are blue with dark vertical bars. There are blue and orange lines on the dorsal and caudal fin. The abdomen along with the pelvic and anal fins are orangish yellow and there are orange egg spots. There is also an orange band behind the head. This variant is very similar in coloring to the nominate form, Aulonocara Korneliae, but the nominate form does not have an apparent orange band behind the head and has less orange on the dorsal fin. This fish may live 8 to 10 years.
All cichlids share a common feature that some saltwater fish such as wrasses and parrotfish have and that is a well-developed pharyngeal set of teeth that are in the throat, along with their regular teeth. Cichlids have spiny rays in the back parts of the anal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins to help discourage predators. The front part of these fins are soft and perfect for precise positions and effortless movements in the water as opposed to fast swimming.
Cichlids have one nostril on each side while other fish have 2 sets. To sense “smells” in the water, they suck water in and expel the water right back out after being “sampled” for a short or longer time, depending on how much the cichlid needs to “smell” the water. This feature is shared by saltwater damselfish and cichlids are thought to be closely related.
Size - Weight:
The Aulonocara “Blue Gold” grows to a length of about 4 inches (11 cm).
Care and feeding:
The Aulonocara “Blue Gold” is carnivorous. In the wild they feed on live sand-dwelling invertebrates. Provide them with a meaty diet; pellets, frozen and freeze-dried daphnia, bloodworms and brine shrimp are excellent choices. Avoid tubifex worms as they contribute to a disease called “Malawi bloat.” You can also use shrimp mixes (the European Shrimp Mix is cheaper than prepared foods and just as nutritious). Feed once a day when young and 5 to 6 times a week when adults unless they are breeding. Avoid the desire to feed this fish more often than it needs, as this will keep the water quality higher over a longer time.
A 55 gallon aquarium is okay for these fish, but 75 gallons is suggested. They do fine in either freshwater or brackish freshwater but need good water movement along with very strong and efficient filtration. Provide open space for swimming and a lot of caves to which to hide, sleep, or breed. They prefer subdued lighting.
Malawi Cichlids will deteriorate under poor water conditions. As these are messy fish, do water changes of 20 to 50% a week depending on bio load. Malawi bloat is a typical disease, along with other diseases that ail all freshwater fish.
Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
These fish will swim in the bottom and middle areas of the aquarium.
Acceptable Water Conditions:
Crushed coral can help keep the PH up. However a higher PH means that ammonia is more lethal, so water changes are a must for these fish.
Hardness: 10 - 25° dH
Ph: 7.5 to 8.6
Temp: 74 - 81° F (23 - 27° C)
Social Behaviors:
The Aulonocara “Blue Gold” is best kept alone in a small tank, or as a group of one male and 4 - 6 females in a large tank. They are peaceful toward those of the same species as long as it is not 2 males, unless tank is very large and can support different territories. The Aulonocara “Blue Gold” will tolerate those of a different genus as long as they are peaceful, similarly sized, though different in shape. They will get along with all other Peacock Cichlids of the same genus.
This fish is best kept with other medium sized Malawi cichlids that are not overly aggressive. Aggressive Mbunas are not good tank mates for the African Butterfly Peacock.
Sexual Differences:
Males are more colorful with the back part of their dorsal and anal fins being longer and sharper. Females are drabber in color with rounded anal and dorsal fins.
Breeding/Reproduction:
The Aulonocara “Blue Gold” has been bred in captivity. Never house fry from different strains in the same tank, as it will be almost impossible to tell the fry and juveniles apart (until they grow). For the Aulonocara “Blue Gold”, keep 2 females with one male for the best breeding success. The male will display an intense coloration to attract the females.
All Cichlid parents tend to their young, making them easy to breed. They should have their own breeding tank as a couple guarding their babies can be a force to reckon with and this aggression is acted out on other tank mates. A 100 gallon tank is suggested.
They are mouthbrooders. This is where the females will lay their eggs and then pick them up in their mouths, after which, they pick at the male’s anal fin to get him to produce “milt” or sperm. The female will then take this milt into her mouth and the eggs are fertilized at that time. She will carry them in her mouth until the fry are old enough to be able to feed on their own. With other Peacocks this takes around 21 days so it is assumed the same is true for this fish. She will nibble and eat next to nothing during this time
Try and keep the different species blood lines pure. To prevent cross breeding, make sure if you have more than one type of Cichlid and that they are very different in shape. See
more information on breeding cichlids in Breeding
Freshwater Fish.
Availability:
The Aulonocara “Blue Gold” Roberti or Orange Shoulder Peacock are sometimes found online between $23.00 to $26.00 USD. They may be found in fish stores as long as you know what you are looking for, because they may be just listed under “peacock” to the uneducated eye. They may also be special ordered if you are willing to wait for them if they are out of season.
Author: Clarice Brough, CFS
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