THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

turquoise to white dots over the body. A single
black spot on central side and second spot on
the caudal peduncle; three black bars behind
central spot. Max. length: 30 cm.
Diet: Worms, crustaceans, insects, and plant
matter. Sorts through mouthfuls of gravel, eats
the small animals, and spits out the rest.
Reproduction and Development: Form
pairs. Female cleans off space, often on a flat
rock, to lay eggs which male then fertilizes.
Both parents protect eggs and fry. Female
assists hatching by helping young out of
egg sacs.
Cichlids in the gar tank often reproduce and
pairs can be seen aggressively guarding their
young.
Mortality/Longevity: Life span: up to 15 years.
Remarks: Considered a game fish in Texas
and Mexico.
This species is the only cichlid native to the U.S.
Turquoise Severum
Heros severus (Cichlidae)
Cichlids
Distribution: Amazon River basin to Upper
Orinoco River drainage in Colombia and
Venezuela.
Habitat: Lakes, standing water, or slow moving
water with copious vegetation.
Appearance: Compressed body is silvery; five
black vertical bars punctuate the lower half
of its flanks, a sixth extends to its dorsal fin.
Length to 20 cm.
Diet: Fruits, seeds, green algae and detritus.
Reproduction and Development: Fertilization
is external. Female deposits up to 200 eggs on
stones or roots. Both parents guard the eggs.
Larvae are taken into the mouth for safekeeping.
Paternal care can last up to six weeks.
Chocolate Cichlid
Hypselecara temporalis (Cichlidae)
Cichlids
Distribution: South America: Amazon River
basin.
Habitat: Slow-flowing, freshwater.
Appearance: Length to 30 cm. Pinkish body.
Diet: Algae, supplemented with planktonic
and terrestrial invertebrates.
Reproduction and Development: Sexes
separate. Fertilization external. Eggs are
California Academy of Sciences
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deposited upon vertical substrates and
guarded by both parents.
Remarks: Minor commercial fishery.
Katria
Katria katria (Cichlidae)
Cichlids
Distribution: One of 17 cichlid species
indigenous to Madagascar.
Habitat: Freshwater pools, slow flowing runs
and rapids with predominantly sand and
gravel substrate, with a few very large rocks.
Appearance: Unique pigmentation and
coloration pattern consisting of two prominent
black vertical bars on an iridescent golden
background. Max length: 5.5 cm.
Diet: Invertebrates, plants.
Reproduction and Development: Substrate
spawner. Pairs of Katria have been observed
guarding either eggs or small juveniles close
to the top of the rocks in the Nosivolo River in
November, 2005.
Conservation Status: IUCN Listed:
Vulnerable. This species has a restricted
distribution within the Nosivolo and Mangoro
rivers, but its habitat is in very good condition
and it does not have to deal with either exotic
predators or competitors. Given the lack of
evidence for decline in quality of habitat or
population size (it is a very common species
within its range), this species is assessed as
vulnerable on account of its restriction to a
single location.
Marakely
Paratilapia polleni (Cichlidae)
Cichlids
Distribution: Endemic to Madagascar.
Habitat: Freshwater; occurs on both slopes
of Madagascar at altitudes up to 1500 m and
exhibits tolerance for a broad temperature
range (15–40° C).
Appearance: Mid-sized cichlid, growing to 30
cm in length; males grow up to a third again as
large as females; black velvet basic coloration
with pattern of blue and gold spangling. Distinct
spot present in dorsal fin of juveniles and
sexually quiescent adults.
Diet: Carnivorous; juveniles feed chiefly on
planktonic crustaceans and insect larvae; larger
fish are crepuscular predators with a preference