Parachromis motaguensis Care Guide
Parachromis motaguensis is a large predatory cichlid from the Motagua basin of Guatemala and Honduras, reaching about 30 cm.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Parachromis motaguensis is a large cichlid native to Central America. According to FishBase its range covers the Atlantic slope of Guatemala and Honduras in the Motagua River basin, and the Pacific slope from the Naranjo River in Guatemala to the Choluteca River in Honduras. It is a robust, heavily built predator commonly known in the aquarium trade as the red tiger or false yellowjacket cichlid.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Parachromis
- Scientific name: Parachromis motaguensis
Habitat
The species occurs in fresh and brackish waters and is described as benthopelagic. FishBase records it from both Atlantic and Pacific drainages across Guatemala and Honduras, where it inhabits rivers of the Motagua and adjacent basins. The climate of its range is tropical.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 500 L
- Temperature: 25-29 °C (77-84 °F)
- pH: 7.0-8.0
- GH: 8-18 °dGH
- Maximum size: about 30 cm TL
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
Diet
Parachromis motaguensis is a carnivore. In the wild it preys on fish and on aquatic and terrestrial insects (FishBase). In captivity it accepts a range of meaty foods such as bloodworm, earthworm, mysis and chopped seafood; frozen items are preferred over live feeder fish to reduce disease risk.
Compatibility
This is an aggressive and highly territorial mid-water species. It is best kept with similarly large and robust Central American cichlids or large plecos, and should not be combined with small fish that it will treat as prey.
Breeding
It is a substrate spawner with biparental care. Females lay roughly 1,000-2,000 eggs that hatch in about 5-7 days, and both parents guard eggs and fry.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed in 2019. The species is also farmed commercially within its range.
Parachromis motaguensis Breeding Guide
Overview
Parachromis motaguensis is an aggressive Central American predator from the Motagua River basin on the Atlantic slope of Guatemala and Honduras, plus the Pacific slope from Guatemala to Honduras (FishBase), and is also reported from El Salvador (Wikipedia). It reaches about 30 cm in length and is an oviparous, biparental substrate spawner that moves its young to pre-dug pits.
Sexing
Females are smaller than males, but their red pigment is more prominent, especially on the gill plates, with deep red and orange shades more pronounced than in males (Wikipedia). The male's dorsal and ventral fins are much more extended and elongated. Bright red dots run along the flanks to the base of the caudal fin.
Breeding Setup
A spacious tank with sand and flat surfaces suits this predator. FishBase gives a temperature range of 25-30 °C, pH 7.0-8.0 and hardness 9-20 dH for the species; Wikipedia notes spawning observed around 27 °C with a pH of 7.0-8.0 preferred. Sexual maturity is reached at about 11 cm (FishBase).
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
The pair spawns on a cleaned surface and transports the offspring to pre-dug pits, guarding them closely (Wikipedia). A high degree of parental care is shown to both eggs and fry. As with the genus, a compatible pair is best obtained by growing several juveniles together.
Egg & Fry Care
The female lays approximately 1000-2000 orange-coloured eggs, which are ferociously guarded by both parents (Wikipedia). Eggs hatch after about 5-7 days and the fry begin to swim in roughly 7 days. As with related species, parents may consume fry when the female prepares to spawn again, so older fry should be moved on.
Common Challenges
The species' aggression makes pairing risky, and the very protective parents become especially hostile during spawning, so maintenance access must be managed. Timely separation of older fry before the next spawn prevents cannibalism.