fish · Cichlidae
Blockhead cichlid
Steatocranus casuarius
Wild range: Pool Malebo (=Stanley Pool) and the lower Congo River in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; type locality Kinshasa, DRC (Africa)
At a glance: Blockhead cichlid care
Compiled reference information. Review the care notes and original sources below.
What temperature is listed for Blockhead cichlid?
The compiled profile lists 24.0–28.0 °C for Blockhead cichlid (Steatocranus casuarius). Check the original sources below for context and differing recommendations.
What tank size is listed for Blockhead cichlid?
The profile lists a minimum tank volume of 20.0 US gallons (75.0 liters). Volume alone does not establish suitability; consider dimensions, group size and other inhabitants alongside the full care notes.
What pH is listed for Blockhead cichlid?
The compiled profile lists a pH of 6.0–8.0. Review the cited care sources alongside the other water parameters in this profile.
Natural habitat
Rheophilic demersal cichlid of fast, turbulent, highly oxygenated stretches of the lower Congo and Pool Malebo; occupies current pockets among rocks and caves; reduced swimbladder for low buoyancy and a characteristic hopping bottom gait (Seriously Fish, FishBase, fishkeeper.co.uk).
Where they are found
Catalog primary locked as Steatocranus casuarius Poll, 1939 per trade, ITIS TSN 170022 (valid; English African blockhead), FishBase SpecCode 8864, Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes (Current status Valid as Steatocranus casuarius Poll 1939; type locality Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo; CoF spid 16600; Cichlidae: Pseudocrenilabrinae), GBIF accepted, and IUCN Least Concern (Moelants 2010; assessment 2009-02-16; taxon 182754). Trade/common names: Blockhead, African blockhead, Buffalohead, Lionhead (African), Humphead, Lumphead, Flathead cichlid — all this species when labeled Steatocranus casuarius. Distinct from congeners sold or confused in the trade: S. tinanti (more elongate, weaker nuchal hump), S. gibbiceps, and S. sp. aff. ubanguiensis (AquaInfo). Order locked Cichliformes to match sibling cichlid catalog rows (ITIS still lists Perciformes historically).
Aquarium care
Intermediate Congo rheophile for a mature, well-oxygenated rocky setup (Seriously Fish, fishkeeper.co.uk, Tropical Fish Co, AquaInfo, FishBase). Lock ≥20 US gal / ~75 L with a long footprint for a bonded pair (SF base 75×30 cm / ~68 L ≈18 gal; FishBase min aquarium length 80 cm for pairs; Tropical Fish Co practical 100 L; fishkeeper ideally ≥36" — locked 20 gal pair floor; prefer 25–30+ gal if tankmates). Sand substrate, secure rock caves (on glass bottom or silicone-bonded — digs heavily), driftwood, optional Anubias/Java fern on hardscape; strong filtration and directional flow with quieter shelter zones and high dissolved oxygen (powerhead + surface agitation). Water: locked 24–28°C, pH 6.0–8.0, GH 5–15 (SF 24–28 / 6.0–7.5 / 2–15; FishBase 24–28 / 6.0–8.0 / 5–19; fishkeeper 24–28 / 6.0–7.8 / ≤18; Tropical Fish Co 24–28 / 6–8 / 5–19; AquaInfo 24–27 / 6.5–8 / 12–16 — locked overlapping practical band). Keep as a male–female pair; do not mix with other cichlids unless the tank is very large.
Feeding
Algae-focused omnivore / aufwuchs grazer (FishBase, Tropical Fish Co). Accepts quality sinking cichlid pellets/granules and flakes plus spirulina/algae wafers; condition with small frozen/live foods (bloodworm, brine shrimp, daphnia, mysis, mosquito larvae) (Seriously Fish, AquaInfo, fishkeeper). Feed modest portions 1–2× daily; avoid leftovers that depress oxygen.
Compatibility
Semi-aggressive and cave-territorial; best as a species pair or specialist community (Seriously Fish, fishkeeper, Tropical Fish Co, AquaInfo). Compatible companions in larger tanks: Congo/Alestid tetras, robust barbs/characins, Chaetostoma, Chiloglanis, and rheophilic Synodontis (e.g. S. brichardi). Avoid other cichlids unless space is abundant; avoid dwarf shrimp, nano tetras, and delicate long-fins. Not communitysafe or nanook at the 20 gal pair floor. Distinct from S. tinanti / S. gibbiceps lookalikes.
Breeding
Not difficult when a compatible pair forms (Seriously Fish, fishkeeper, AquaInfo). Best obtained by raising a juvenile group and allowing natural pairing, then removing extras. Spawning is secretive in a cave (or a burrow they excavate); 20–150 eggs on cave wall/ceiling; hatch ~4–7 days; fry free-swim ~5–14 days after spawn and are herded by both parents for up to ~3 months. Slightly soft, near-neutral to mildly acidic water toward the upper temperature band aids spawning (SF, fishkeeper). Pair bond is lifelong — a widowed fish rarely remates.
Sources
Compiled from multiple independent care sheets — not copied from a single site.