Andinoacara sp. 'Orinoco'

Etymology

Andinoacara: named for the Andes mountain chain in South America, around which members of this genus are distributed, in combination with acará, the Tupí-Guaraní word for cichlids.

Classification

Order: Perciformes Family: Cichlidae

Distribution

Collected from unspecified localities in the Río Orinoco basin, presumably in Venezuela.

Habitat

Unknown, but likely to be a habitat generalist exhibiting a preference for biotopes containing slow-moving or still water with well-structured substrates including submerged tree roots, branches, leaf litter, etc.

The Río Orinoco lies within Venezuela’s tropical zone which is characterised by year-round warm temperatures and well-defined weather patterns with distinct wet and dry seasons, the former falling between the months of May to November. During the rainy period flow rate and depth of rivers can vary enormously, even on a daily basis, and turbidity also increases.

Other fishes occurring in the Orinoco and available in the aquarium trade include Corydoras delphax, Platydoras costatus, Baryancistrus beggini, Hypancistrus inspector, Panqolus maccus, Panaque nigrolineatus, Hemigrammus rhodostomus, H. stictus, Hyphessobrycon sweglesi, Paracheirodon axelrodi, Pristella maxillaris, Copella nattereri, Biotodoma wavrini, Heros severus, Mesonauta insignis, Geophagus abalios, Satanoperca daemon and Uaru fernandezyepezi.

Maximum Standard Length

100 – 130 mm, with females normally around 25 mm smaller than males.

Aquarium SizeTop ↑

A tank with base dimensions of 120 ∗ 30 cm should be the smallest considered and something significantly larger is likely to be required should you wish to maintain more than a single pair.

Maintenance

Ideally a soft, sandy substrate should be employed though it is not essential. Additional furnishings are as much a case of personal taste as anything else but the most favoured set-ups tend to feature relatively dim lighting plus some chunks of driftwood and scattered roots/branches. One or two flattish, water-worn rocks can also be included to provide potential spawning sites if you wish.

Water quality is of the utmost importance since these cichlids are susceptible to deteriorating water quality and should never be introduced to a biologically immature aquarium. The best way to achieve the desired stability is to over-filter the tank using a combination of external canister filters and/or a sump system and perform minimum weekly water changes of 50-70%. If the maintenance regime and/or diet is insufficient individuals may develop health problems such as head and lateral line erosion or exhibit stunted growth. Mechanical filtration should be tailored to trap small particles stirred up by the fish as sand can cause blockages/wearing issues with filter mechanisms if allowed to continually run through the system. High flow rates should be avoided so position filter returns accordingly.

Water Conditions

Temperature: 24 – 28 °C

pH: 5.5 – 7.5

Hardness: 18 – 179 ppm, ideally <5°

Diet

Omnivorous and easy to feed; offer good quality, sinking dry foods as staple alongside regular meals of live or frozen bloodworm, Artemia, etc.

Behaviour and CompatibilityTop ↑

Relatively peaceful for a cichlid of this size. Males are territorial, particularly when spawning, while very small tankmates may be predated upon. Can be maintained alongside other cichlids provided there is sufficient space available.

Sexual Dimorphism

Males grow larger than females and usually develop extensions to the unpaired fins as they mature. When in spawning condition they are also much the more colourful gender.

Reproduction

Biparental substrate spawner and relatively simple to breed. The most proven method is to buy a group of 6 or more young specimens to be grown on together, removing the excess once pairs begin to form. The eggs apparently hatch after around 3 days and are free-swimming at 6 days of age.

NotesTop ↑

This apparently undescribed species was traded as ‘Aequidens‘ sp. ‘Orinoco’ but following Musilová et al. (2009) appears to be a member of the genus Andinoacara.

References

1. Musilová, Z., O. Říčan and J. Novák, 2009 - Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 47(3): 234-247
   Phylogeny of the Neotropical cichlid fish tribe Cichlasomatini (Teleostei: Cichlidae) based on morphological and molecular data, with the description of a new genus.