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No federal permit to keep

Cynotilapia afra

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Cynotilapia afra, the afra cichlid or dogtooth cichlid, is a small species of cichlid fish from Lake Malawi in East Africa, where found in rocky habitats. The genus name roughly translates as dogtooth cichlid (hence its common name) which describes…

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Easy

Cynotilapia afra — Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Ged~commonswiki assumed, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Ged~commonswiki assumed, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

FamilyCichlids

Adult lengthup to 4 in

WaterFreshwater

HabitatLives in freshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 4.0 in / 10.1 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Temperature: 73–81°F (range recorded for this species).
pH: 8–8.5.
Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
Diet: FishBase classes it as a carnivore.

Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.

Care guide

Species care notes

Tank: a base of at least 39 × 12 in (roughly 24 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
Water: hard, alkaline water, 77–84 °F, pH 7.5–8.5, 10–25 dGH.
Behaviour: temperament territorial.
Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “Much of the aquarium should contain piles of rocks, arranged to form caves with small areas of open water between.”
Tankmates: “Belligerent and territorial.”
Breeding: “The breeding tank should be around 48" in length and furnished as suggested above.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

Lake Malawi mbuna

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Rocky shores of Lake Malawi. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Hard, alkaline water (pH 7.8–8.6) and lots of stacked rock with caves; a long tank (often 4 ft+).
Keep in crowded groups of one male to several females per species, to spread aggression.

Sources 117 119 164 118 255

Climate & lighting

Water

76–82°F

Sources 117 119 164 118 255

Diet

Choose diet by mbuna species. The L. caeruleus profile offers vegetable foods alongside live or frozen foods; do not impose a universal ban on animal protein.
Feed small amounts once or twice a day.

Sources 117 119 164 118 255

Social life

Territorial; overstock mbuna-only tanks rather than mixing with peaceful fish.

Sources 117 119 164 118 255

Health watch

Monitor water quality, feeding and aggression. Do not present dietary protein alone as a confirmed diagnosis or universal cause of abdominal swelling.

Sources 117 119 164 118 255

Understanding the animal

About this animal

This mbuna prefers a pH range of 7.5–8.5 and a temperature range of 23–27 °C. The afra cichlid has an elongate body with vertical blue and black bars.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Cynotilapia afra” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

In the wild

From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.¹

Where it lives	Lives in freshwater, in lakes. Uses both the bottom and open water. Found common in the upper part of the rocky biotope which is usually sediment-free.
Water it lives in	Freshwater, 73–81 °F (23–27 °C), pH 8–8.5, hardness 15 dH, depth 3–30 m.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: external brooders.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 73–81 °F.

FishBase species summary: Cynotilapia afra

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 85°F (up to 88°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 61°F (down to 55°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	69–76°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	68–72% on average (driest month about 58%)
Rainfall	about 1277 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons

Measured at 23 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.

From the sources

Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.

Overview	Cynotilapia afra, the afra cichlid or dogtooth cichlid, is a small species of cichlid fish from Lake Malawi in East Africa, where found in rocky habitats. The genus name roughly translates as dogtooth cichlid (hence its common name) which describes the sharp, conical unicuspid teeth unique to this genus within the Lake Malawi species flock. This mbuna prefers a pH range of 7.5–8.5 and a temperature range of 23–27 °C. The afra cichlid has an elongate body with vertical blue and black bars. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Where it lives	Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase
Reproduction	Sexual maturity is reached at 6-8 months. — FishBase
Biology	Found common in the upper part of the rocky biotope which is usually sediment-free. Males which are territorial mainly feed from the biocover on the rocks close to their homestead while others which are more gregarious feed on plankton. — FishBase

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Adult length

Average of sources4in

FishBase 1644

Seriously Fish species profiles 1673.9

Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

Water temperature

Average of sources75–82.5°F

FishBase 16473–81

Seriously Fish species profiles 16777–84

Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.

pH

Average of sources7.8–8.5

FishBase 1648–8.5

Seriously Fish species profiles 1677.5–8.5

Water hardness

Reported10–25dGH

Seriously Fish species profiles 16710–25

Minimum tank footprint

Reported39in

Seriously Fish species profiles 16739

Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 39 × 12 in (about 24 US gallons).

Veterinary & husbandry research

Elevated mtDNA diversity in introduced populations of Cynotilapia afra (Günther 1894) in Lake Malawi National Park is evidence for multiple source populations and hybridization Zidana H et al., Molecular ecology 2009

Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170

Federal legal snapshot

No federal permit to keep

No federal law singles out this species for private keepers. State and local rules still apply.

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Has a Seriously Fish aquarium species profile
FishBase records it in the aquarium trade (Aquarium=commercial; AquariumFishII=based mainly on breeding)
9 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

Sources for this sheet

FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
Seriously Fish — Labidochromis caeruleus Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.