robertprice
July 16th, 2013, 12:11 PM
Despite its disovery in 1877, this semi-popular aquarium fish still has no common name. It is called Masamiche in Spanish. It is yellow fish that looks a lot like a Geophagus, and inhabits floodplains, and shallow areas of rivers and lakes on the Atlantic slope of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, including Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. It is characterized by a large midlevel round spot on the rear 2/3 of the body. It may have a copper-brown head area and gill covers. It has 6-7 faint vertical body bars. The fins except for the pectorals are very pearly white, beige or yellow-white. It grows to 9 - 10 inches, likes water temperature of 76-82 degrees, pH of 7 to 7.8. It is benthopelagic swimmer that eats many insects and a lot of detritus in the substrate.
In the aquarium it a fairly peaceful fish and a good community large cichlid for 70+ gallon tanks unless they pair off. They make good shallow pond fish for breeding purposes. They lay eggs rather in the open in shallow water on flat stones, and have unusually small egg clutches of 150 to 250. Their fry tend not to swarm but lie close to the substrate. They are good parents. Because of their shallow water preferences, they are not the easiest fish to breed in large tanks. Pictures available at "Images of Amphilophus rostratus."
In the aquarium it a fairly peaceful fish and a good community large cichlid for 70+ gallon tanks unless they pair off. They make good shallow pond fish for breeding purposes. They lay eggs rather in the open in shallow water on flat stones, and have unusually small egg clutches of 150 to 250. Their fry tend not to swarm but lie close to the substrate. They are good parents. Because of their shallow water preferences, they are not the easiest fish to breed in large tanks. Pictures available at "Images of Amphilophus rostratus."