Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlid
Maylandia callainos (Stauffer & Hert, 1992)
Also called Cobalt Zebra, Cobalt Blue Mbuna, Pseudotropheus callainos, Metriaclima callainos
From Endemic to Lake Malawi, East Africa: native around Nkhata Bay in the north of the lake, and introduced at several islands.123
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Torpedo-shaped rock-dwelling mbuna
A solid, elongated mbuna of plain, even blue without the dark bars seen on many relatives; males are the brighter sex.3
Personality what they are like
Confident and territorial, typical of mbuna. It mixes well with other robust Malawi rock cichlids but not with gentle community fish.3
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Busy swimmer that spends the day grazing and patrolling rockwork in the middle and lower water.31
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Hard, alkaline water, good filtration and regular partial water changes keep it in top colour.31
Home where they are happiest
Aquarium with a base of at least about 120 x 30 cm (around 108 litres or more), lots of rocks and caves, temperature 24-28 C, pH 7.5-8.8, hardness about 5-30 dGH depending on source.31
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A largely plant-based grazer: spirulina flakes, blanched spinach and similar greens, with some live or frozen food as a supplement.31
Company who they like around
Keep one male with several females in a well-stocked mbuna tank so attention is shared out.3
The story where it all began
Formally described in 1992 as Pseudotropheus callainos, it was later moved to Metriaclima and then Maylandia. Despite coming naturally from one small stretch of the northern lake, it became one of the best-known Malawi cichlids in the hobby.23
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Its natural home was originally just around Nkhata Bay, but it is now found at several other islands where it was introduced.1
- 2
Besides the classic cobalt blue, it also comes in orange blotch and pearl colour forms.3
- 3
Females carry eggs in their mouths for three to four weeks and release free-swimming fry.3
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 20 June 2018)1
- Taxonomy
- Described by Stauffer & Hert in 1992 as Pseudotropheus callainos; later Metriaclima, now Maylandia2
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlid. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amounts once or twice a dayevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeAbout 25% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Glass cleanevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Maylandia callainos fishbase.seused for taxonomy, size, water, distribution, IUCN
- Wikipedia: Maylandia callainos en.wikipedia.orgused for names, taxonomy history
- Seriously Fish: Maylandia callainos seriouslyfish.comused for care, water, colour forms, behaviour, breeding
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.