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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Blue dolphin cichlid
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Variations

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Blue dolphin cichlid

Cyrtocara moorii · Moorii, Blue dolphin, Moorii hap, Cyrtocara moorii

Peaceful for a hap but sensitive; keep with calm Malawi fish and avoid mbuna bullies.

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20 cmAdult size ✓
25–29 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
257 LSmallest tank ✓
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Not recommended
  • Blue dolphin cichlid eats animals up to about 5 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like blue dolphin cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Blue dolphin cichlid eats animals up to about 5 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like blue dolphin cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Blue dolphin cichlid eats animals up to about 5 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like blue dolphin cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like blue dolphin cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 25–26 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like blue dolphin cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.8–8.6 vs 6–7.5). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

52 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓10–25 dGH
Group size ✓3 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful for a hap but sensitive; keep with calm Malawi fish and avoid mbuna bullies.

  • sand

Food

Quality cichlid pellets and flakes plus frozen mysis, krill and chopped fish a few times a week.

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Male or female

Difficult to sex: both sexes grow the forehead hump and share the same colour. Males generally grow larger, but this can take several years.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Polygamous maternal mouthbrooder; the female carries the brood for up to 3 weeks. Use one male with 3-6 females.

Pairing

One male with 3-5 females in a large tank with open sand; males guard a sand scrape or cave.

Setup

400+ L tank with a sand floor, rockwork with caves and open swimming space, hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.6) and strong filtration.

What starts it

Large water changes, varied protein foods and a dominant male displaying in a sand nest or cave.

Eggs

20-90 eggs per brood, carried for up to 3 weeks.

Raising the fry

The female releases fry after about 3 weeks. Feed crushed flake and newly hatched brine shrimp; sort by size often as fry grow unevenly and larger siblings eat smaller ones.

Common mistakes
  • Tank too small for adults
  • Keeping with small fish that become food
  • Not sorting fry by size
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Malawi
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi (sandy areas)
HabitatSandy bottoms
Native rangeAbout 300 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the blue dolphin cichlid

A blue Lake Malawi hap from sandy, fairly shallow water; adults of both sexes grow a fatty forehead hump. Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Boulenger described the blue dolphin in 1902, naming it after J. E. S. Moore. It is the only species in the genus Cyrtocara. Its nuchal hump gives it a dolphin-like profile.

First described by George A. Boulenger in 1902. Named for Named after British zoologist J. E. S. Moore, who explored African lakes.

  • Adults develop a large forehead hump.
  • In the wild it follows sand-sifting fish to pick up food they stir up.
  • Both sexes are blue, though males usually get a bigger hump.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources