(Please note that the fish shown in the photo is only a representative of what an adult specimen would look like. The color may vary based on the age and sex of the fish you receive.)
Scientific Name: Herichthys cyanoguttatus
Common Name: Pearl Cichlid, Rio Grande Cichlid, Rio Grande Perch, Texas Cichlid
Adult Size: 12 inches
Life Expectancy: 10 - 15 years
Habitat: North and Central America; South Texas and Northern Mexico
Minimum Tank Size: 75 gallons
Ideal Tank Conditions:
- Temperature: 78°F
- pH Range: 7.0 - 8.0
- Water Hardness: 5 - 12
Temperament: Aggressive and territorial
Diet & Nutrition: Omnivore; needs needs meaty foods balanced with vegitation. They are not fussy eaters and will eat virtually anything, including live, frozen, flake, and pelleted foods. Provide live foods when possible, such as worms and insects or insect larvae. Fresh vegetables can be fed as well. Consider spirulina flakes or pellets to keep their natural colors bright and to maintain health.
Breeding & Spawning: They are prolific, egg-laying, open spawners, which are easy to breed. Decorate the breeding tank with large rocks or clay pots to provide a choice of spawning locations. Breeding pairs are best obtained by purchasing a group of half a dozen young fish. Allow them to grow to maturity together so that pairs will form. Once a pair has formed, they should be separated to prevent them from attacking, or killing, other fish. After cleaning the chosen spawning location, the female will lay 500 to 1,000 adhesive eggs. This takes place in several batches with the male following the female to fertilize the eggs after they are deposited. The parents will guard the eggs, which hatch in two to three days. The fry will accept freshly hatched brine shrimp either fresh or frozen. In lieu of brine shrimp, commercially prepared fry foods can be used. As the fry grow, finely crushed flake foods can be given before small pellets can eventually be offered.
Gender: Mature males develop the traditional nuchal hump on the head above the eyes. Fins of the males are longer and more pointed. Females have black spots located on their dorsal fin that are absent in males.