The Lionhead/Buffalo HeadCichlid
The Lionhead Cichlids
The Lionhead/Buffalo head Cichlid (Steatocranus casuarius) is not as common as it once was. I bought a small group after not having them since 1985. They are a unique freshwater cichlid from the Congo River basin, in west central Africa where they have adapted to fast-flowing water which has reduced their swim bladder, causing them to hop along the lower and bottom of the aquarium similar to a goby. They are generally peaceful toward unrelated tank mates, but can be territorial or aggressive toward their own kind and form monogamous pairs. Mine are generally darting in and out of the mopani wood that provide natural caves for them. The males as they mature grow a large nuchal hump on their heads and are slightly larger than females. They reach about 4-5 inches in size. They spend most of their time on the substrate, using their hopping motion to move rather than swimming in open water. They do best when they have rocks and caves and driftwood for hiding in. They prefer moderate to strong well oxygenated water that mimics their natural environment. They are kind of a mottled brown/ grey with patches of tan in color with a distinctive crosshatch scale pattern and a blue circle in their eye that adds interest to their unique swimming behavior. They are not fussy eaters and eat tetra min, brine shrimp and pellets. Give them a try, for something different , you won’t be sorry. The last photo shows a male and a female, as noted with his large nuchal hump. Breeding is usually in a cave, where the parents lay their eggs and guard their fry attentively.