Aulonocara sp. "Chitande Type North" "Ndomo Point"

About the species

Aulonocara sp. "Chitande Type North" is an undescribed peacock cichlid from the northern reaches of Lake Malawi — recognised in the field by Ad Konings but never formally named, with no describing author, no year, and no scientific catalogue entry. It is the northern member of the lake's "Chitande Type" peacocks, a cluster of look-alike sand-dwellers whose drab females are nearly impossible to separate and whose males carry each population's signature. The northern fish is the easy one to name: its breeding males display a black marginal band along the dorsal fin that is unique among all Aulonocara, an unmistakable badge. It is the most widely distributed of the group, ranging from Likoma and Chizumulu Islands along the northwestern shore to the Mozambique coast, and should be treated strictly as a documented hobby and field form rather than a described species.