The Frontosa Cichlid has a very majestic and commanding presence with it's pronounced coloration and large size, easily up to 30 centimeters!

The Frontosa's body has six black stripes on a white background. The extremities will stay white or light blue in color. Both the male and the female will develop the cranial hump on the forehead but the male hump will be larger and more pronounced. The fish in the picture above is a juvenile because it has no cranial hump.

They are a gently tolerant community fish and don't look for trouble, but they will defend a territory once they have established one. Even though they are quite peaceful beware of keeping smaller fish in your aquarium. The Frontosa will stealthily snatch up a small fishy snack if it is available!

These are deep water fish rather than cave dwellers. They are best kept in groups of 8 to 12 in a very large aquarium with plenty of room to swim. A 200 gallon aquarium is recommended with a sandy bottom and rock structures creating fissures to hide in. Though plants are not essential, they do not burrow and will not harm them.

The Frontosa come from a depth between 65 and 100 feet in Lake Tanganyika which makes them a difficult fish to collect. Because of this they have been quite rare and expensive. Today many are bred in captivity, but they still command a fairly high price.

Care and feeding:
Since they are carnivorous the Frontosa will generally eat all kinds of live foods. Feed molluscs, crustaceans, and fish. Frozen brine shrimp is also considered as a good protein source.

Distribution:
The Frontosa are endemic to Lake Tanganyika Africa. They live on the sloping lake bottom off shore at depths of 65 - 100 ft. (20 - 30 meters).

Size:
These fish get up to 35 centimeters.

Social Behaviors:
They are fairly non-aggressive community fish although they can be territorial. They don't burrow or disturb plants.

Sexual Differences:
Although it is hard to tell, the male is larger, and often has a more pronounced cranial hump than the female.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
Hardness: 12-15° dGH
Ph: 8.0 - 8.5, wild caught specimens prefer the higher Ph.
Temp: 24-26° C (74-79° F)

Breeding/Reproduction:
The Frontosa are egg layers and hey form matriarchal families. The female is a mouth brooder, she prefers spawning in caves and will lay about 50 eggs