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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Frontosa
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Photo by Matthew Inabinett, CC BY · source · credits

Variations

2 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Frontosa

Cyphotilapia frontosa · Humphead cichlid

Calm but eats small fish.

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33 cmAdult size ✓
24–27 °CTemperature ✓
8–9pH ✓
864 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Frontosa eats animals up to about 8 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like frontosa need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Frontosa eats animals up to about 8 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like frontosa need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Frontosa eats animals up to about 8 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
  • Rift lake cichlids like frontosa need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like frontosa need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 24 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like frontosa need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

58 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 ✓5 or more
Temperament ?Semi-aggressive
Swims at ✓Middle
Care level ?Hard
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 4–6 cm
Growth Slow

Behavior

Calm but eats small fish.

Food

Pellets, prawns.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Juveniles cannot be sexed reliably. Adult males grow larger, with longer fins and a bigger forehead hump.

Health

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

Breeding

Mouthbrooder ·

Maternal mouthbrooder: the female carries a small brood of large eggs in her mouth for a long time. Sexual maturity takes several years.

Pairing

Buy 6-8 young fish and grow them for 4-5 years. Pairs form slowly.

Setup

A 125+ gallon (470 L) tank with caves, 24-26 C, hard alkaline water.

What starts it

Cool water, clean tank, and heavy feeding. Pairs spawn only when mature.

Eggs

Usually 10-50 eggs, depending on the female's size; she holds them for about 35-50+ days (5-7+ weeks).

Raising the fry

Release fry after 5 weeks. Feed baby brine shrimp, then crushed flake. Growth is slow.

Common mistakes
  • Buying fish too young
  • Tank too small
  • Poor water quality
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Tanganyika – Tanzania, DR Congo, Burundi & Zambia
Rivers and lakesLake Tanganyika
HabitatDeep rocky slopes, often 10–50 m down
Native rangeAbout 350 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the frontosa

A large Lake Tanganyika cichlid, up to about 33 cm, with bold dark bars and a forehead hump; the species name refers to the forehead. Described by George Boulenger in 1906; it lives deeper than most cichlids and takes several years to mature. Its southern relatives were split off as C. gibberosa in 2003.

Boulenger described the frontosa in 1906 from Lake Tanganyika. This large, slow-growing cichlid lives in deep water and develops a big forehead hump with age. Many geographic colour forms, named after their collection sites, are prized by aquarists.

First described by George A. Boulenger in 1906.

  • It lives much deeper than most aquarium cichlids.
  • Adults develop a large hump on the forehead.
  • Females carry eggs and fry in their mouths.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources