Photo: Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Flag cichlid
Mesonauta festivus
10 cm
Adult size
170 L
Minimum volume
2
Minimum group
8 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Mesonauta
- Diet
- omnivore
- Social life
- pair
In the wild
Overview
The festivum, or flag cichlid, is recognised by the dark oblique band running from the mouth to the tip of the dorsal fin. Still popular, it is found in most pet shops, but the fish sold under this name is usually Mesonauta insignis.
- Scientific name
- Mesonauta festivus (Heckel, 1840)
- Classification
- Cichliformes › Cichlidae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Amazon (Tapajós, Jamari, Madre de Dios, Guaporé, Mamoré) and Paraguay basins: Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
It lives in slow, heavily vegetated water, along sandy or muddy banks, near aquatic plants.
Behaviour
A peaceful cichlid, more aggressive when breeding. It lives with other calm cichlids (Geophagus, Apistogramma) and peaceful community fish (tetras, barbs, small catfish), but very small fish may be eaten. A generalist omnivore: prepared foods, live prey (bloodworms, Artemia) and a little plant matter.
Sources:FishBase Seriously Fish GBIF · Base map: Natural Earth