Parachromis motaguensis

False Yellowjacket Cichlid

Classification

Cichlidae. Subfamily: Cichlasomatinae

Distribution

Recorded from the River Motagua basin in eastern Guatemala and Honduras. To the west its range begins around the River Naranjo in Guatemala, extending southwards through El Salvador and into Honduras as far as the River Choluteca.

Habitat

Can be found in a variety of biotopes including lakes and larger streams. It’s most often found in the central flowing parts of rivers.

Maximum Standard Length

12″

Aquarium SizeTop ↑

48″L x 18″H x 15″W (120cm x 45cm x 37.5cm) – 212 litres

Maintenance

A riverine species, the Motaguensis prefers areas with fallen trees (use bogwood and driftwood to replicate this) and rocks.

Water Conditions

Temperature: 68 to 86°f (20 to 30°c)

pH: 6.0 to 8.0, with 6.8 being optimal

Hardness: 6 to 16°dH

Diet

Almost exclusively carnivorous in nature, preying on smaller fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour and CompatibilityTop ↑

Aggressive. Will see anything that it can fit in its mouth as food. Will be aggressive against conspecifics and nonspecifics, so choose tankmates carefully. Will handle itself well against other large, aggressive cichlids.

Sexual Dimorphism

Male has lighter colouration, and comes across as being slightly more greeny in colour.

Reproduction

A pair will go through the courtship ritual which can include gill flaring, and the female lunging towards the male – but stopping short before making contact. Upto 2000 eggs can be laid by fully grown parents, though size plays an important factor in clutch size. Fry will hatch around a week later, and at this point parents become downright vicious towards any living thing within a 4 foot radius. If parents are bigger than 15cm, it is highly recommended that cleaning the tank is avoided as they will happily bite chunks out of your hands. Parents will often crash into the glass of the tank in defensive displays and lose a couple of their teeth, though this isn’t a great worry as they will grow back within a couple of weeks.

NotesTop ↑

Parachromis Motaguensis are a truly stunning fish. They exhibit gorgeous colours, but can be a nightmare to keep. Do not even consider housing any other fish with Motaguensis when they are breeding, as the other fish will be hurt – even if significantly bigger than the pair of False Yellowjackets.

Motaguensis make a nice addition to a big central/north American cichlid tank, with similarly aggressive fish – but be careful that you don’t choose a compatible pair of Motaguensis or you will have some serious issues on your hands.