Green Chromide (Etroplus suratensis) Breeding Guide

The green chromide is a biparental substrate spawner whose pair tend eggs and move free-swimming fry between excavated nursery pits.

Overview

Etroplus suratensis, the green chromide or pearlspot cichlid, is one of the few Asian cichlids, native to peninsular India and Sri Lanka and introduced to Malaysia and Singapore. It is a euryhaline fish that mostly inhabits brackish estuaries, coastal lagoons and the lower reaches of rivers (recorded across salinity from about 0.02 to 28), and also occurs in freshwater. It is a biparental substrate spawner and can be bred by experienced aquarists.

Sexing

Males are larger than females and develop black occipital stripes between the eye and the gill cover during breeding. The male's genital papilla is longer and more pointed; the breeding female's papilla becomes reddish and swollen, modified as an ovipositor.

Conditioning

The species grazes aufwuchs and filamentous algae and accepts chironomid larvae (bloodworm), Tubifex, Artemia and mosquito larvae plus vegetable matter. A varied diet rich in live and frozen foods, combined with brackish conditions, conditions adults into spawning readiness; wild fish breed during the dry pre-monsoon (December to April) and the monsoon (June to September).

Breeding Setup

Provide firm spawning surfaces, typically rocks, in a spacious tank with open substrate that pairs can defend. Slightly brackish water suits this euryhaline species. A pair forms a temporary bond, selects a site and defends a territory around it.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

The pair attaches eggs to the chosen surface via short filaments. Eggs hatch in approximately 48–72 hours depending on temperature, and free-swimming fry appear a further 3–4 days later.

Egg & Fry Care

Adults excavate nursery pits in the substrate and move the fry between them until the yolk sacs are absorbed. Parental care normally extends until the fry reach 30–40 mm in length. Note that orange chromides (Pseudetroplus maculatus) sharing the tank may consume entire batches of green chromide eggs and fry, so account for tank mates when breeding.