robertprice
August 16th, 2013, 02:24 PM
Foprmerly a Herichthys, Kullander reclassified this large attrative fish as a Cichlasoma in 1983. It has an a bright yellow ground color on its face, upper body and caudal section, but a big chocolate brown belly which is sharply demarcated. Belly and face and fins can turn black or orange or wine colored when breeding. It has 7 vague vertical bars and a blotch on the upper caudal peduncle. Males get 17 inches long and grow fast. They live in southern Mexico and Guatemala and are omnivores that eat a lot of plant matter.
In the aquarium they are only midly aggressive and are good tank mates for 200 gallon tanks. A single one needs a 75 gallon. They are conspecifically aggressive with other males. They eat a lot, mostly blanched greens and pellets. they like water 76-80 degrees, fairly hard, and pH 7.2-7.6. They are excellent parents, substrate brooders that like a tank of stones, tough plants,and roots, and lay up to 800 eggs. I have kept them and they are peaceful large tank community fish with huge appetites. Pictures at "Images of Cichlasoma pearsei."
In the aquarium they are only midly aggressive and are good tank mates for 200 gallon tanks. A single one needs a 75 gallon. They are conspecifically aggressive with other males. They eat a lot, mostly blanched greens and pellets. they like water 76-80 degrees, fairly hard, and pH 7.2-7.6. They are excellent parents, substrate brooders that like a tank of stones, tough plants,and roots, and lay up to 800 eggs. I have kept them and they are peaceful large tank community fish with huge appetites. Pictures at "Images of Cichlasoma pearsei."