Green Chromide (Etroplus suratensis) Care Guide
Etroplus suratensis is a large euryhaline cichlid from peninsular India and Sri Lanka, kept in brackish or hard freshwater tanks in groups.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Etroplus suratensis, the Green Chromide, is one of only a few cichlids native to Asia. It occurs in fresh and brackish waters of peninsular India and Sri Lanka, and was declared the official state fish of Kerala in 2010. The species commonly reaches around 20 cm, with the maximum length roughly twice that. It is a popular food fish across its range.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Etroplus
- Scientific name: Etroplus suratensis
- Described by Bloch, 1790
Habitat
It is a euryhaline species of river deltas, brackish estuaries, coastal lagoons and the lower reaches of rivers, and also occurs in pure freshwater. Native populations are recorded from regions such as Kerala, Goa and Chilika Lake in Odisha. It has been introduced beyond its native range, including in Singapore.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 400 L (about 106 gal)
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 7.0-8.5
- GH: 10-25 °dGH
- Group size: gregarious; keep in groups
- Lifespan: 8-12 years
Diet
In the wild the Green Chromide is largely herbivorous, grazing on aquatic plants, filamentous algae and diatoms, with occasional mollusks and other animal matter. In aquaria it grazes aufwuchs and accepts prepared foods, small live or frozen items such as bloodworm, Tubifex and Artemia, and vegetable matter including Spirulina and peas.
Compatibility
It is a middle-water, relatively peaceful cichlid outside of breeding and will not predate on any but the smallest fishes, though it becomes territorial when spawning. Suitable companions are robust, brackish-tolerant species; tiny nano fish should be avoided. Because of its adult size it is best suited to very large aquaria.
Breeding
The species is a biparental substrate spawner that forms temporary pair bonds and shows attentive parental care, with broods sometimes guarded by several adults. Eggs hatch in roughly 48-72 hours and the fry become free-swimming a few days later. Sexual maturity is reached at about one year.
Green Chromide (Etroplus suratensis) Breeding Guide
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.