The Blue Dolphin (Cyrtocara moorii) is one of the best-loved haps from Lake Malawi. Males and females are an even sky blue, sometimes with dark blotches that show with their mood, and with age they develop a hump on the forehead that gives them their dolphin look.

It is a calm, slow-growing fish. Adults reach about 20 cm, so it needs a large tank, 400 liters or more, with plenty of open space and fine sand. In the lake it follows sand-sifting fish to feed on what they stir up.

It does well with peacocks and calm haps of similar size. Avoid aggressive mbuna, which stress it, and very small fish, which it may eat. Food: quality cichlid pellets with some krill or mysis.

The photos show the fish for sale, in our tank and in hand.

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