Texas cichlid

Perlcichlide ( Herichthys cyanoguttatus )

The Perlcichlide ( Herichthys cyanoguttatus, formerly Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum ) is a freshwater fish of the family of cichlids. The species originates from the lower reaches of the Rio Grande in Texas and northeastern Mexico, but was introduced among others in the Edwards Plateau and in Florida. Perlcichliden are the only cichlids that are native to the United States.

Features

Perlcichliden have a gray base color with bright blue scales and two dark spots, one in the middle, the other at the base of the tail fin. Adult males have a hump on the forehead. The animals can reach an overall length of 30 centimeters. They prefer a water temperature of 20-33 ° C, a pH of 6.5-7.5 and a water hardness of 5-12 dH.

Propagation

Percichliden are quite fertile, they are easy to grow in the aquarium. Adult animals form pairs and are territorial. The female sticks up to 1000 eggs on a clean, flat surface. The eggs are guarded aggressively by both parents, the larvae hatch after 3-5 days and grow quickly.

Aquarium maintenance

The Perlcichlide is a common aquarium fish should only be kept in aquariums with a minimum of 200 liters of water. They dig in the soil and uproot it also plants, but usually get along with other, similarly sized fish. The diet is easy because they accept flake, frozen and live food.