Melanochromis auratus is a smaller elongated species of African cichlid from Malawi. These beautiful cichlids are also known as golden mbuna and Malawi golden cichlid in the trade. The first characteristic you will notice is males are colored black and females are yellow so there is no guessing as to who is who.

 

This is a typcial mbuna cichlid endemic to Malawi but specific to the southern region of Malawi from Jalo Reef along the coast to Crocodile Rocks where it is found in the rocky habitat of the area. M. auratus is a mouth breeding species so the female will hold the egss in her mouth and release them when its time.

 

As juveniles the auratus cichlid is yellow including young females with black and white stripes on the upper portion of their bodies. Males as they mature turn black or dark brown with light blue or yellow stripes on the upper portion of their bodies. This color characteristic between sexes is referred to as sexual dichromatism.This species is listed on IUCN Red List of endangered species but noted as LC or least concern with no known major widespread threats.

 

As with other mbuna this species should be kept with one male to multiple females as male can be aggressive and territorial so it’s best to manage them in a harem. They species does well in a community setting and will benefit from a vegetable diet of algae and spirulina. Check out the awesome video below with Melanochromis auratus breeding.

 

 

 

 

Melanochromis auratus (Boulenger, 1897) (Golden Mbuna, Auratus Cichlid, Malawi Golden Cichlid)

Melanochromis baliodigma Bowers & Stauffer, 1997

Melanochromis benetos Bowers & Stauffer, 1997

Melanochromis brevis Trewavas, 1935

Melanochromis chipokae D. S. Johnson, 1975

Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos Bowers & Stauffer, 1997 (Maingano)

Melanochromis dialeptos Bowers & Stauffer, 1997

Melanochromis elastodema Bowers & Stauffer, 1997

Melanochromis heterochromis Bowers & Stauffer, 1993

Melanochromis interruptus D. S. Johnson, 1975

Melanochromis joanjohnsonae (D. S. Johnson, 1974) (Pearl of Likoma)

Melanochromis johannii (Eccles, 1973) (Bluegrey Mbuna, Johanni Mbuna, electric blue johanni)

Melanochromis kaskazini Konings-Dudin, Konings & Stauffer, 2009

Melanochromis lepidiadaptes Bowers & Stauffer, 1997

Melanochromis loriae D. S. Johnson, 1975

Melanochromis melanopterus Trewavas, 1935

Melanochromis mossambiquensis Konings-Dudin, Konings & Stauffer, 2009

Melanochromis mpoto Konings & Stauffer, 2012.[2]

Melanochromis parallelus W. E. Burgess & H. R. Axelrod, 1976 (Parallel-striped Mbuna)

Melanochromis perileucos Bowers & Stauffer, 1997

Melanochromis perspicax (Trewavas, 1935)

Melanochromis robustus D. S. Johnson, 1985

Melanochromis simulans Eccles, 1973

Melanochromis vermivorus Trewavas, 1935 (Purple Mbuna)

Melanochromis wochepa Konings-Dudin, Konings & Stauffer, 2009

Melanochromis xanthodigma Bowers & Stauffer, 1997