One of the 3 cichlids on WAnimals
Bony fish · Perciformes · Cichlidae
Convict Cichlid
Amatitlania nigrofasciata
There is not enough information to assess its risk of extinction. See full glossary
Amatitlania nigrofasciata, known in northern Central America as pez congo, is a fish of the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Its behaviour is territorial and aggressive when spawning, since at that time it defends the nest against any other fish. In captivity it is advisable to keep one pair per 100 litres, although it will breed without difficulty in 60 litres.
Weight
35 g on average
Size
up to 10 cm
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Social structure
In pairs
Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.
Sighting difficulty
Unknown
Fun facts
- GeneralFiercely territorial and a good parent: the pair defend their fry together.
- The pair defend the territory and tend the eggs and fry together, a form of parental care that has made it a model species in behavioural studies.
- Selective breeding has produced a leucistic variety without the wild type's dark bars, sold as the pink or gold convict.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)
- Habitat & environment
- Rivers and streams with rocky beds
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amatitlania_nigrofasciata
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Convict Cichlid — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Nile Tilapia
Oreochromis niloticus
Midas Cichlid
Amphilophus citrinellus
Oscar
Astronotus ocellatus
Angelfish
Pterophyllum scalare
Green Discus
Symphysodon aequifasciatus
Zebra Mbuna
Maylandia zebra
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about convict cichlid.
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