CENTRAL AMERICAN CICHLIDS.
Order Perciformes
Family Cichlidae
Subfamily Cichlasomatinae
Genus Hypsophrys.
— Hypsophrys nicaraguensis [Gunther, 1864] — Nicaraguan Cichlid. Synonyms: Heros, Copora, Herichthys, Theraps nicaraguensis; Cichlasoma, Copora nicaraguense; Heros balteatus, Hypsophrys unimaculatus; Cichlasoma balteatum, spilotum, nicaraguense. (English: Moga, Macaw Cichlid, Nicaraguan Cichlid, Nikaragua Buntbarsch, Spilotum Cichlid). Nicaragua – Lake Nicaragua, Costa Rica – San Juan River. Male 25 cm, female 20 cm. Body moderately elongated, high, gradually tapering from head to tail, strongly compressed laterally. Head profile arched, large eyes, terminal mouth with thick lips. Dorsal fin long.
Chest, head, and part of the forebody range from greenish to light blue, lower and posterior parts of the body range from dark yellow to light brown. Scales with a dark border and golden shimmer, which is more pronounced in the posterior part of the body. In males, body coloration features pale bluish and golden-pink tones with a black median spot.
Depending on the fish’s well-being, a stripe ranging from dark brown to black appears along the body, from the eye to the tail. This stripe forms a rounded spot on the caudal fin. The longitudinal stripe and spots on the torso disappear with age. Unpaired fins range from yellowish to light brown, with a mosaic reddish pattern of numerous spots and strokes, with a green-blue edge, and during the spawning period, they and the lower part of the body turn red.
With age, males develop a fatty nuchal hump. Pectoral fins are large, and the caudal fin is fan-shaped. Their fins are longer than those of the female, with pronounced speckling. Adult males have a large number of light and dark spots. The greenish-turquoise color characteristic of adult females has no analogues among cichlids.
The female is significantly smaller, more contrastingly colored, with an azure head; below the longitudinal stripe, the body has a reddish coloration that can vary to golden. A black stripe extends from the gill cover to the caudal peduncle, turning into a rounded spot in the middle of the body. The female’s dorsal fin is turquoise at the top and golden at the base, while in the male it is yellow-red with brown spots.
Males also have a symmetrical pattern of brown spots on the caudal fin, while females have only a slight hint of spots. Young females may initially outpace their male peers in growth. Because of this and brighter coloration, beginner aquarists often mistake females for males. Juveniles are drab, gray-yellow with a dark longitudinal stripe.
There are several different geographic color variations. Fish from Costa Rica have a yellow-orange main body coloration. The head, throat, and gill covers are blue-green, the upper part of the dorsal fin is the same color, and the rear part has a light green color. The lateral stripe is purple. Fish from Nicaragua lack the blue-green head coloration; the body is golden-beige, with blue and purple in the lower part down to the middle of the belly. There is an “Orange/Piebald” form – almost entirely orange. Wild-caught fish are brighter than captive-bred ones.
Due to its coloration and relative peacefulness, it is considered one of the most interesting cichlids for aquarium keeping. However, it is quite territorial and can become aggressive during spawning. They can be kept in pairs, harems, and get along wonderfully in a community aquarium with Malawi and Tanganyika cichlids. The water composition in Lake Nicaragua is very similar to the Great African Lakes, so Nicaraguan cichlids can be combined with non-aggressive African cichlids, as well as representatives of the Melanotaeniidae family. There are cases of them helping to protect eggs and larvae of other cichlasomine species.
In the aquarium, hiding places made of rocks and driftwood, caves, large boulders, and other decorative elements are desirable. They occupy the lower layers of water; sandy substrate is preferred. Before spawning, they dig up the substrate, creating large pits. Use gravel or preferably sand as a substrate. In nature, they feed on algae, insect larvae, and small snails. They may eat soft, delicate plants. Plant-based foods are a necessary supplement. Filtration, aeration, and weekly water changes are required.
They mature at 9-16 months at a length of 6-9 cm. A pair forms spontaneously from a group of 5-8 fish. Before spawning, the fish dig small pits in the substrate, often under decorations. The pair spawns on a hard stone substrate previously cleared of sand or, if there is a suitable-sized grotto with an opening of at least 10 cm in diameter, they can spawn inside it. The eggs are non-adhesive and therefore cannot be attached to the wall or ceiling of a cave. The female cares for the eggs and fry, while the male guards the territory. Non-adhesive eggs cause a lot of trouble for the tending fish; they constantly have to herd their offspring to prevent the entire clutch from simply scattering. They live 8-12 years. dH up to 20°; pH 7.0-8.0; T 24-28°C.
Identification: Nicaraguan Cichlid — Hypsophrys nicaraguensis.
— Hypsophrys nematopus [Gunther, 1867] — Poor Man’s Tropheus. Synonym: Neetroplus nematopus, nicaraguensis, fluviatilis. (English: Poor Man’s Tropheus). Costa Rica, Nicaragua – lakes and rivers. 14 cm, females usually 8-10 cm. They have an impressive set of teeth, perfectly suited for their natural diet – scraping algae from rocks in their natural habitat. The main body background is beige-gray. Dark gray vertical stripes run across the body, one of which, located in the middle of the body, is the most distinct dark, almost black.
During the spawning period, the body turns smokey black; the dark transverse stripe running through the middle of the body of these species becomes almost white during spawning, making the fish resemble African Tropheus. When frightened, the coloration becomes almost uniformly gray. Adult males have a fatty bump on their forehead. The caudal fin is approximately triangular in shape. Pelvic fins in sexually mature individuals often end in thread-like extensions. Females are smaller than males, but their breeding coloration is more contrasting, dark gray.
An aggressive territorial species, they should be kept in a group. Males usually occupy a small territory, which they defend not too aggressively, while females generally prefer to stay in caves. In community aquariums, they behave quite intolerantly toward each other and other fish, so it is better to introduce them directly into a species tank. An aquarium with a medium-gravel bottom and plenty of hiding places arranged vertically, just like for Malawi cichlids.
Guarding their offspring, these rock-dwellers (hence the name) attack much larger fish capable of swallowing them. Males usually make frontal attacks, while females typically attack from below, focusing on the underside and ribs of the intruder. They will relentlessly pursue and kill if the victim has nowhere to hide.
They damage plants by undermining them. Plants should be planted in pots and placed far away from hiding places. Aeration, filtration, and mandatory weekly water changes are necessary. They tolerate large water changes poorly. Flakes or granules, any regular aquarium live or frozen foods, and fresh greens are eaten with pleasure. Plant-based products should be regularly included in their diet.
Sexually mature at 7-8 months. Spawning takes place in hiding places with a single opening, so various breeding tubes for this species are not suitable. Juveniles grow fast. Parents care for the offspring for up to 45 days. dH 8-30°; pH 7.0-8.5; T 23-26°C.
Parachromis dovii, Parachromis friedrichsthalii, Parachromis loisellei.
