Crenicichla acutirostris Breeding Guide

Breeding notes for the sharp-nose pike cichlid Crenicichla acutirostris (Lugubria acutirostris), a predatory cave spawner from the Tapajos basin.

Overview

Crenicichla acutirostris (Gunther, 1862) is a pike cichlid of the Amazon River basin, recorded from the Tapajos and Aripuana river basins in Brazil, and is now placed in the genus Lugubria as Lugubria acutirostris. According to FishBase it reaches about 23.0 cm TL and lives a freshwater, benthopelagic lifestyle.

Breeding Setup

FishBase records water parameters of pH up to about 7.0, hardness up to about 15 dH and a temperature range of 26-28 degrees C. As a predatory pike cichlid, this species needs a spacious, well-filtered tank with soft, slightly acidic, warm water and a sand substrate. The Aquairi record classifies it as a cave spawner of intermediate breeding difficulty, so caves and crevices should be provided as enclosed spawning sites.

Common Challenges

As with other large pike cichlids, the main challenge is forming a compatible pair without dangerous aggression while supplying enough space for a predatory fish. The sources consulted do not document specific spawn sizes, egg-incubation times or detailed fry-rearing data for this species, so these are omitted rather than estimated.