Cichlid Profiles- Cichlasoma portalegrense
 

This cichlid has been around long enough to have accumulated several common names: Black Acara, Brown Acara, Red Port Acara, or just plain Port. It is a fish of subdued but interesting color, have either beige, light blue, or brown ground color with very dark lines between each scale. There is a long distinct bar from the back of the eye to the tail, which has a large midbody blotch at its center, and an upper caudal penduncular blotch at the tail base. There are sometimes vertical bars. The fins are often copper or wine colored and the dorsal and **** fins have scales on them. They get 6-8 inches long.

This fish may have the largest geographic distribution of any cichlid, being found in the entire Amazon Basin except for Bolivia. They live at the bottom in cool temperatures (65-75 degrees) and pH 6.5-7, but breed best at ph 7 and 76-80 degrees.The they like rocks and roots and plants and are fond of floating plants. They are very peaceful. The are fairly good parents, and will clean a rock or leaf to lay 200 to 600 eggs, and dig pits for the fry. As they can breed several times a year, they stop caring for young at about 3 weeks. They need at least a 30 gallon tank for 1, a 40 for a pair, and make good comunity fish for peaceful or mildly aggressive large cichlid or mixed tropical tanks. See Pictures at "Images of Cichlasoma portalegrense."