This species is also referred to as ‘velvet cichlid’, ‘red oscar’, ‘tiger oscar’, or ‘marble cichlid’.

It is a popular aquarium fish although its adult size and typical life-span of 10-20 years must be taken into account before purchase. Numerous ornamental strains are now available, and while care is more-or-less identical for all of them a degree of additional care must be taken with the ‘long-finned’ variety which is a little less competitive than other forms.

Parachromis Managuense are your typical north/central American large predatory cichlid. They are extremely attractive, but a large aquarium is required.

They are not difficult to look after, as long as filtration is up to standard. Choose tankmates carefully – if you are hoping to breed Managuense, house a breeding pair or grow 6 juveniles up until a pair is formed.

One of the biggest problems with breeding Managuense is the fact that a single spawn from 12" parents can produce 3000 f…

Most members of Epalzeorhynchos were formerly regarded as Labeo spp. and are thus referred to as such in older literature. According to Rainboth (1996) they’re characterised by absence of a dorsal spine, possession of 10-13 branched dorsal fin rays, a thin membrane connecting the upper and lower lips and rigid, freely moveable rostral lobes.

Epalzeorhynchos itself has undergone some quite recent changes with a handful of species hav…

C. oblongus is another name widely misused in the trade but that species has seemingly never been exported and was described as a blueish fish with yellow fins. It’s native to streams of Gunung Salak mountain in Bogor Regency, West Java, Indonesia where collecting of ornamental fishes is almost non-existent. Other species of laterally-striped Crossocheilus also exist and may be available from time-to-time but are more easily told apart from the group described above.

This species has been a popular aquarium fish for a considerable period and virtually all fish traded are now raised commercially for the purpose.

It is easily identified by the characteristic bright red or orange underside of the head, which is more pronounced in adults.

Following Miller and Taylor (1984), the genus Thorichthys is identified…

The Pearlscale Cichlid is an extremely attractive fish, showing some gorgeous bluey green hues and reflective flecks on their flanks. They aren't difficult to look after or breed, but be careful when choosing tankmates. The only problem with spawning is that the male may become aggressive towards the female – it is certainly wise to have a tank divider, just in case.

Look out for Pearlscale Cichlids labelled as Texas Cichlids, as it is a misleading common name that is often given to Heri…

A voracious piscivore that hunts in large shoals in the wild, this species is perfectly designed for its lifestyle. It is very streamlined and muscular and has one of the most amazing sets of teeth of any freshwater fish. These are dagger-shaped and interlock, meaning the fish can rip chunks out of its prey. The teeth are visible even when the animal's mouth is closed, which makes for a fearsome sight.

It is a popular game fish in its native range, with the largest specimen caught weighi…

Generally found within 15-20 km of the sea but habitat-type is extremely variable. It’s been recorded in full marine conditions as well as pure freshwater environments, and commonly inhabits coastal mangrove creeks, swamps, and salt marshes.

Freshwater habitats tend to comprise lowland swamps or forest streams with clear water but some populations inhabit acidic, tannin-stained, black waters. It’s also abundant in the artificial canals typical of residential zones in the Gold Coast, southern Queensland.

Described from ‘Rivulet in sago forest at Ngaiguli, Terangan, Aru Island, Aru Islands, Maluku, Indonesia’, corresponding to the island now normally referred to as ‘Trangan’ in the Aru Islands group, eastern Indonesia.

The islands are located in the Arafura Sea, with western New Guinea to the north and the Arnhem Land Region of Australia’s Northern Territory to the south, and though they lie within Maluku province of eastern Indonesia, are part of the Australian continent in a geological sense.

This species is also traded as ‘forktail rainbowfish’ or ‘yellow forktail’, and it’s also undergone several changes in scientific name since description. Pseudomugil furcatus is the original designation, but Allen (1980) created the genus Popondetta for it on the basis of morphological characters including number of anal-fin rays (16-20 in P. furcatus, 8-12 in other Pseudomugil spp.), absence of anterior…