From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Texas Cichlid
Herichthys cyanoguttatus
- Temperature
- 20–28 °C
- pH
- 6 – 7.5
- Min. tank size
- 400 L
- Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- Diet
- omnivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Herichthys cyanoguttatus |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Origin: | North America (Rio Grande drainage, Texas and northern Mexico) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | omnivore |
| Max Size: | 30.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | aggressive |
| Min Group: | Can be kept alone |
| Varieties: | Several selected and hybrid forms circulate, and the naming is a mess. The wild-type fish carries iridescent blue-green spangling over a darker ground and is the fish described here. The "red Texas" is a hybrid, generally between this species or a relative and a red-pigmented Central American cichlid, produced for colour and sold at high prices. Its temperament and adult size vary with its parentage. "Green Texas" and various trade names attach to related Herichthys and to hybrids. The genus itself has been revised repeatedly, and the species appears in older literature as Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum and Herichthys cyanoguttatus, with both spellings of the epithet in circulation. Related species in the trade include Herichthys carpintis, the pearlscale or green Texas cichlid, which is very similar and frequently mislabelled as this species, and various other Central American cichlids of comparable size and temperament. For a large American cichlid with a better community record, a severum or a Salvini is easier to accommodate. |
| Lifespan: | 10-15 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:High
- Min Tank:400 L
- Substrate:Sand or fine gravel; rocks and robust or no plants
- Plant Safe:Not plant-safe (digs and uproots)
- Filtration:High (large, messy fish)
Texas Cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus) is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is native to North America (Rio Grande drainage, Texas and northern Mexico). The Texas cichlid is the only cichlid that occurs naturally in the United States, in the lower Rio Grande drainage of Texas and northern Mexico. It is also, in the words of the specialists, highly belligerent and territorial — a phrase worth reading twice before buying one. It reaches 30 cm standard length, and a single adult needs at least 255 litres by the specialist minimum, with 400 litres a more realistic starting point and far more required if anything else is to live with it. The fish itself is spectacular: a deep, powerful body covered in iridescent blue-green spangling over a darker ground, with the pattern intensifying dramatically in breeding condition. In nature it experiences 20 to 33 °C (68–91 °F), which makes it tolerant of a wide range and one of the few cichlids that can be kept in an unheated tank in a warm room. Its breeding behaviour — attentive biparental care of a large brood — is among the best in the family.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- aggressive
- Keep in
- Can be kept alone
- Swims
- middle
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Texas Cichlid
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