Home / Fishes / Cichlids / Cichlidae / Featherfin cichlid

No federal permit to keep

Featherfin cichlid

Cyathopharynx furcifer

Current scientific name per the Catalog of Fishes: Cyathopharynx foae

Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)

The featherfin cichlid (Cyathopharynx furcifer) is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is found off rocky slopes.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Intermediate

FamilyCichlids

Adult lengthup to 8.3 in

WaterFreshwater

HabitatLives in freshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 42 in long and 18 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 8.3 in / 21 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Temperature: 75–79°F (range recorded for this species).
pH: 8–9.
Hardness: 9–19 dGH.
Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
Diet: A plankton picker: offer small, frequent feedings of fine frozen and live foods (copepods, brine shrimp, daphnia). 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 71 × 18 in (roughly 96 US gallons); space needed is rated “very large tank”.
Water: hard, alkaline water, 75–81 °F, pH 8–9, 8–25 dGH.
Difficulty: Difficult (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “The aquarium should contain some scattered piles of rocks arranged to form caves, with large areas devoted to open water.”
Diet: “It will accept most foods but high protein, meaty varieties should be avoided.”
Tankmates: “A relatively boisterous species that needs a lot of space for its size.”
Breeding: “It's a maternal mouthbrooder.”

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 Tanganyika cichlids

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Rocky reefs, shell beds and sand of Lake Tanganyika. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Use species-specific alkaline-water parameters and stable, well-oxygenated conditions. For N. multifasciatus, Seriously Fish gives pH 7.5–9.0 and general hardness 8–25 dGH.
Shell-dwellers need beds of empty snail shells; rock-dwellers like Julidochromis need stacked rockwork; Tropheus need large groups and spacious tanks.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Climate & lighting

Water

76–81°F

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Diet

Tropheus moorii needs a vegetable-based staple with small suitable live/frozen supplements. Other Tanganyikans need their own feeding plan; shell-dweller and predator diets differ.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Social life

Often pair- or colony-forming and territorial; research each genus.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Health watch

Tropheus are prone to bloat on rich foods; sudden water changes stress Tanganyikans.

Sources 117 119 164 118 256 273

Understanding the animal

About this animal

It feeds on plankton. This fish can reach a length of 21 centimetres (8.3 in) TL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Featherfin cichlid” (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. Adults are gregarious, drifting plankton picker which occur off rocky slopes.
Ground it lives on	Over rock.
Water it lives in	Freshwater, 75–79 °F (24–26 °C), pH 8–9, hardness 9–19 dH.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Wild diet	Selective plankton feeding.
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: external brooders, maternal parental care.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 75–79 °F.
Provide rockwork with crevices to hide in.
Parents guard eggs or young, so expect territorial behavior when breeding.

FishBase species summary: Cyathopharynx furcifer

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 86°F (up to 91°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 61°F (down to 55°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	69–80°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	55–72% on average (driest month about 56%)
Rainfall	about 1026 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons

Measured at 32 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	The featherfin cichlid (Cyathopharynx furcifer) is a species of cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika where it is found off rocky slopes. This fish can reach a length of 21 cm TL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade. This is currently the only species recognized in the genus by FishBase, but genetics and morphology suggest there are two valid species. — 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	Eggs from the cleavage phase and larvae of up to 1.69 cm TL are mouthbrooded by female parents ranging from 11.3 to 12.2 cm SL. — FishBase
Biology	Adults are gregarious, drifting plankton picker which occur off rocky slopes. Females brood their young in the mouth. — 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 sources8.1in

FishBase 1648.3

Seriously Fish species profiles 1677.9

Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

Water temperature

Average of sources75–80°F

FishBase 16475–79

Seriously Fish species profiles 16775–81

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

pH

Average of sources8–9

FishBase 1648–9

Seriously Fish species profiles 1678–9

Water hardness

Average of sources8.5–22dGH

FishBase 1649–19

Seriously Fish species profiles 1678–25

Minimum tank footprint

Reported71in

Seriously Fish species profiles 16771

Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 71 × 18 in (about 96 US gallons).

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 capture)

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 — Neolamprologus multifasciatus Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
Seriously Fish — Tropheus moorii 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.