(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: Texas cichlid, Pearl cichlid, Rio Grande Perch, and Rio Grande cichlid
Adult Size: 12 inches
Life Expectancy: 10 - 15 years
Habitat: North America, where it’s found in lakes in Texas and in Northern Mexico. The fish has the distinction of being the only naturally occurring U.S. cichlid species.
Minimum Tank Size: 60 gallons
Ideal Tank Conditions:
- Temperature Range: 70 - 75°F
- pH Range: 6.5 - 8.0
- Water Hardness: 8 - 15
Temperament:
They can be very aggressive toward others, and they can also wreck your tank decoration by digging and ripping up plants.
Diet & Nutrition:
As omnivores, they will happily take more or less any kind of fresh, live, and flake foods. You can also feed these fish earthworms and cichlid pellets, and feeder fish will also be well received if you don’t mind taking that route. They will eat a variety of foods, including flakes, pellets, and meaty frozen foods.
Gender: Male fish develop a nuchal hump as they mature, which is absent in females. Also, males are larger than females and have a pointed dorsal fin.