Photo: Шатилло Г.В., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Texas cichlid
Herichthys cyanoguttatus
30 cm
Adult size
500 L
Minimum volume
1
Minimum group
15 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Herichthys
- Diet
- omnivore
- Social life
- solitary
In the wild
Overview
The only cichlid native to the United States, speckled with turquoise-blue dots. The type species of the genus Herichthys, it has been moved several times between this genus and Cichlasoma. Introduced outside its range, it forms wild populations there, notably in Florida.
- Scientific name
- Herichthys cyanoguttatus Baird & Girard, 1854
- Classification
- Cichliformes › Cichlidae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Lower Rio Grande basin (Texas, United States) and north-eastern Mexico; introduced elsewhere in Texas, Florida and Mexico
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
It prefers slow water: pools, deep holes and calm stretches of rivers, often near submerged rocks, branches or dense weed beds. It likes warm water and vegetation.
Behaviour
Like most large cichlids, it is very belligerent and territorial, especially males and in a tank that is too small: it needs a very large aquarium and robust companions. It mainly eats aquatic invertebrates, but also plant matter: varied food, with a plant component.
Sources:FishBase Seriously Fish GBIF · Base map: Natural Earth