Spotted Dwarf Pike Care Guide
Crenicichla notophthalmus is a true dwarf pike cichlid from the lower Rio Negro basin in Brazil, suited to medium community tanks with non-tiny fish.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Crenicichla notophthalmus is a true dwarf pike cichlid of the family Cichlidae, native to the Amazon River basin in the lower Rio Negro basin in Brazil. It has recently been placed in the genus Wallaciia. As one of the smallest in its group, it is suited to medium community tanks housing non-tiny fish.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Crenicichla
- Scientific name: Crenicichla notophthalmus
- Recent reclassification: Wallaciia notophthalmus
Habitat
The species occurs in the lower Rio Negro basin in Brazil. The Rio Negro is a soft, acidic blackwater system, and pike cichlids there typically inhabit margins with leaf litter, wood and submerged structure.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 120 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 5.5-7.0
- GH: 2-8 °dGH
- Water flow: moderate
- Lifespan: 5-7 years
A sand substrate with driftwood, leaf litter and caves suits this species and provides territories and ambush cover consistent with its blackwater origin.
Diet
A carnivore that takes meaty live and frozen foods in the aquarium, fed about twice daily.
Compatibility
A semi-aggressive, mid-water predator. Robust tankmates such as silver dollars, severums, bristlenose plecos and large tetras are suitable, while small tetras, shrimp and other aggressive cichlids should be avoided.
Breeding
A cave spawner with breeding difficulty considered intermediate.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2022).
Crenicichla notophthalmus Breeding Guide
Overview
Crenicichla notophthalmus is one of the smallest pike cichlids, occurring in the Amazon region of Brazil around Manaus and Santarem. AquaInfo classifies it as a cave breeder. The species is rarely available in the trade, and AquaInfo notes that little is documented about its captive reproduction.
Sexing
AquaInfo reports a size difference between the sexes, with males reaching about 15 cm and females remaining smaller at roughly 11-12 cm.
Conditioning
As a carnivore, the species should be conditioned on live and frozen foods. AquaInfo recommends keeping it in a harem because females can be dangerously aggressive towards males, so a single male with several females spreads aggression and improves the chance of a stable pairing.
Breeding Setup
Provide caves and dense cover in very soft, acidic water. AquaInfo lists suitable parameters as 24-27 C, pH 4.5-6.0 and GH 0-4, reflecting the blackwater conditions of its native Amazon habitat. A sandy substrate suits this bottom-oriented species.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
As a cave breeder, the female deposits adhesive eggs inside a cavity, in line with the genus pattern documented for related dwarf pikes. AquaInfo states that finding a compatible pair for breeding is extremely difficult and that detailed spawning observations are scarce, so soft, warm, acidic water is the main practical trigger.
Egg & Fry Care
Specific egg counts and fry-rearing timelines for this species are not documented in the consulted sources. As a member of a genus that exhibits biparental cave brooding, both parents would be expected to guard the cavity, but the practical scarcity of breeding reports means individual results vary.
Common Challenges
The greatest challenges are sourcing the fish, since it is seldom imported, and forming a compatible pair given the strong female aggression noted by AquaInfo. Maintaining the very soft, acidic water required for egg development adds further difficulty.