Cichlid Profiles -Siebold's Cichlid
 

Tomocichla sieboldii is a native of the West Cost of Costia Rica and Panama where it is found in everything from fast miving rivulets to stagnant backwaters. It's is fairly large: 10 inches for males, 8 for females. It is mostly vegetarian and eats some insects and freshwater shrimp.

This cichlid is yellow or white in base color, with a dark row of 6 to 7 body blotches or vertical indistinct stripes. It has a black spot on the caudal penduncle, 2 black horizontal bars connecting to the front of the eye, a black chin and a rosy or yellow orange belly. The umpaired fins have a copper colored tinge, and the dorsal fin has a thin red stripe. When in breeding color, the dark chin extends to the forehead and gill covers, and the spots or bars deepen in color and spread over a majority of the body.

It is fairly new to the hobby, having first been imported in the 1980's. It is moderately aggressive and can be kept with other cichlids of about the same size. It should be kept in at least a 55 gallon tank with lots of rock hides. It is very temperature and pH tolerant, but prefers 78 degrees and a pH of 7-7.4.

See "Images of Tomocichla sieboldii for pictures.

Siebold Cichlid Sighting!
 

Petland at 23rd Street in Manhattan has a Cichlasoma siedboldii, about 5.5 inches long living with an adult pair of Oscars. They have it mislabelled as a breeding Texas Cichlid. (See, you can find all these oddball cichlids if you go to a store looking for mistakes.)