Mesonauta insignis

Classification

Cichlidae

Distribution

South America: Brazil and Venezuela: Orinoco an dNegro drainages

Habitat

Well planted rivers

Maximum Standard Length

4″ (10cm)

Aquarium SizeTop ↑

48″ x 15″ x 12″ (120cm x 37.5cm x 30cm) – 140 litres

Maintenance

Well planted tank with moderate water flow. Bogwood and branches can be used for decor. Sandy subtrate is preferred. Lighting should not be too strong.

Water Conditions

Temperature: 78 – 86°F (26 – 30°C)

pH: is found in a broad range of conditions in the wild. In captivity a pH of around 6.5 is ideal.

Hardness: Up to 20°H

Diet

Omnivorous in nature. Will eat most dried foods, such as cichlid pellets. Supplement this with bloodworm, brineshrimp and other live or frozen foods. Vegetable matter such as algae wafers, spirulina or blanched greens can also be offered.

Behaviour and CompatibilityTop ↑

Peaceful cichlid, although becomes more aggressive when breeding. Can be kept with other peaceful cichlids such as geophagus and apistogramma and other peaceful community species such as tetras, barbs and small catfish.

Sexual Dimorphism

Male is larger and his extensions to dorsal and anal fins.

Reproduction

Breeding takes place a flat stone or similar area. Once the breeding area is prepared, eggs will be deposited by the female and then fertilised by the male. In excess of 200 eggs may be laid. Both fish guard the eggs and when the fry hatch two to three days later, they are transferred to a pit where the parents keep them until they become free-swimming. This is usually 3 – 4 days after hatching. Both fish assume parental duties but can be easily spooked often leading to them eating the fry. It is advisable that the breeding tank be placed in a quiet location and distrubed as little as possible.

Fry can be fed on newly-hatched brineshrimp and powdered fry foods until large enough to take bigger foods.

NotesTop ↑

There is some debate that this species is actually the fish that finds its way into aquatic stores under the name of the Flag cichlid (normally attributed to m. festivus). The two fish look very similar and, in reality, it is likely that both species are sold under the same name – depending on the area where the fish were originally caught and exported from.