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No federal permit to keep

Humphead cichlid

Cyphotilapia frontosa

Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)

Cyphotilapia frontosa, also called the front cichlid and frontosa cichlid, is an east African species of fish endemic to Lake Tanganyika.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Intermediate

FamilyCichlids

Adult lengthup to 13 in

WaterFreshwater

HabitatLives in freshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 66 in long and 27 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 13.0 in / 33 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Temperature: 75–79°F (range recorded for this species).
Hardness: 8–12 dGH.
Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a omnivore.

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 94 × 24 in (roughly 228 US gallons); space needed is rated “very large tank”.
Water: hard, alkaline water, 73–81 °F, pH 8–9, 10–25 dGH.
Behaviour: a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; not a community fish.
Difficulty: Difficult (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “A well-structured aquarium comprising some sheltered areas with plenty of open space is considered ideal.”
Diet: “This species is a generalised predator feeding on smaller fishes, macro -invertebrates, and molluscs, plus some algae and organic detritus which is presumably ingested when the fish are browsing the substrate or the surface of rocks.”
Tankmates: “This species may eat much smaller fishes but can form part of a well-chosen Tanganyikan community provided the aquarium is of a sufficient size.”
Breeding: “A maternal, ovophilous mouthbrooder that is commonly bred in aquaria.”

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

The genus name is a combination of the Ancient Greek "cypho-", meaning "curved", and tilapia, which means "fish" in a local dialect. The species name frontosa is a reference to its relatively large forehead.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Cyphotilapia frontosa” (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. Rock-dwellers, often in aggregation.
Ground it lives on	Over rock.
Water it lives in	Freshwater, 75–79 °F (24–26 °C), pH 8, hardness 8–12 dH.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Wild diet	Hunting macrofauna (predator).
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: Cyphotilapia frontosa

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 85°F (up to 90°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 62°F (down to 54°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	68–79°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	65–72% on average (driest month about 59%)
Rainfall	about 1067 mm a year

Measured at 19 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	Cyphotilapia frontosa, also called the front cichlid and frontosa cichlid, is an east African species of fish endemic to Lake Tanganyika. The genus name is a combination of the Ancient Greek "cypho-", meaning "curved", and tilapia, which means "fish" in a local dialect. The species name frontosa is a reference to its relatively large forehead. — 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
Wild diet	The diet of Cyphotilapia frontosa is mainly composed of shellfish and smaller fish. — Animal Diversity Web
Behavior	Cyphotilapia frontosa is primarily a schooling species. — Animal Diversity Web
Reproduction	Females incubate eggs in buccal cavity. Early hatching embryos commence feeding on inhaled particles by the female when still in possession of large yolk. In one study, larvae of up to 1.66 cm TL are mouthbrooded by a female parent 14.0 SL long. — FishBase
Appearance and size	Cyphotilapia frontosa can grow up to 35cm long. — Animal Diversity Web
Biology	Rock-dwellers, often in aggregation. Omnivorous, feed on shellfish (snails and mussels) and fish. Food intake of mouth brooding females is for nourishment of both themselves and the young. — 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 sources11.5in

FishBase 16413

Seriously Fish species profiles 16710

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

Water temperature

Average of sources74–80°F

FishBase 16475–79

Seriously Fish species profiles 16773–81

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

Water hardness

Average of sources9–18.5dGH

FishBase 1648–12

Seriously Fish species profiles 16710–25

pH

Reported8–9

Seriously Fish species profiles 1678–9

Minimum tank footprint

Reported94in

Seriously Fish species profiles 16794

Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 94 × 24 in (about 228 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 breeding)
138 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

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.
iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.