Body coloration is usually blue-green, dark green, yellow-brown, brown or nearly black, and whatever the fundamental colour might be it can vary considerably with the temper or mood of the fish. A dark vertical stripe marks the rear of the body from the dorsal fin down into the base of the anal fin. A paler dark bar crosses the tail root. The head and gill covers are lightly marked with irregular dark markings, and also the body of the male is covered by lateral rows of reddish dots, darker on the upper body. The fins are red-brown or orange.

Aquarium specimens will grow to about 7 inches. They’re hardy, and not so aggressive as most of the big members of the family. They’re not effortlessly bred, but breed according to the standard description. As only the males have the rows of reddish dots, sexing won’t prove any issue.

The zebra cichlid is a extremely strung nervous fish, which dashes about the aquarium from one refuge to an additional, at a very quick speed. It is also fond of lying under an archway of piled stones.

Like most nervous fish, the colouring and markings of the zebra are volatile; very pronounced one minute and nearly gone the next. The body colouring varies from yellowish-white to light grey, the darker stripes on the sides extend into the dorsal fin, and there are yellowish spots between the dark markings on the dorsal. Emerald green outlines the sawtooth edges of the dorsal and anal fins.

Strangely sufficient, the zebra is a fish where the female boasts the much better markings. Even though the male has the exact same colouring, the female has much more brilliance.

Very warlike, it is important to maintain specimens over 2 inches long in a tank on their own. Even at this size they’ll attack much more peaceful fish. Their technique of attack would be to charge the victim with their tough heads, which soon kills. The jaws are so strong that they can crush a snail shell with one vicious snap. Fully grown adults reach 4 inches.

It breeds according to the standard description at a temperature of 80°F, but you should add lots of rocks and stone arches to offer protection for the weaker partner. This isn’t usually the female, but the smaller of the two.

The depressions in the sand in which the babies are reared are nearly usually hidden from view behind a rock or stone. A family is indicated if the parents seem interested in some shady nook.

Some tropical fish are so startling in their beauty that they set themselves apart from all . The firemouth is one of these its colouring is surely . The green-blue body is shaded irregularly with a pale purple, and has an irregular, broken, dark line running from just behind the gill plate to the tail. The outstanding feature is the fiery red or deep orange belly. This colour runs from the tail base, along the belly, and into the mouth, forming a triangle just behind the gill plate. The second notable feature of the firemouth is the bright green-edged spot on the base of the gill plate. shades of red are on the fins.

Up to inches long, the sexes are indistinguishable, but as they grow larger, the male develops the usual elongated point to the rear of the dorsal. Fully grown fish will reach a length of 4-5 inch Small specimens be kept in a community tank, but it is advisable to fish in a tank on their own. The tank should be spacious.

The firemouth breeds in the standard manner at a temperature of 80° F, when the colouring tends to intense, in the female.

It is the size only of the chanchito that excludes it from the community tank. Adults attain a length of 7 inches and, except at breeding time, they’re not aggressive. Small specimens up to three inches might be included in the community tank.

The body colour is pale brown overlaid with six or seven dark vertical bars. Some specimens also have a dark line running down die lateral line. The iris of the eye is red. The chanchito has a lot to commend it as an introductory species of the Cichlids. It is simple to breed in the standard manner, and also the adults make outstanding parents. Their feeding habits are typical of the Cichlids.

Even though a considerable number of fish vary their colour depending upon mood and emotion, the chocolate cichlid is noted, not only for its range of colour changing, but also for the speed in which it achieves the change. Under regular conditions the general body colour is pale to dark brown and also the belly is a beautiful, metallic purple-brown.

The sides are marked by dark vertical bands. It is also marked with 3 dark smudges, one on the gill cover, a second on the centre of the body, along with a third on the tail root. The fins are usually brownish, and also the dorsal fin has a red edge.

These are fairly big fish, 6-7 inch being about average length for the adults, and they could be trouble makers. To the very best knowledge of the author they’ve not been bred in aquaria. They’re aggressive fish during mating, and it is not unusual for one fish to really kill its partner.

The Jack Dempsey is an old aquarium favourite, and it is not surprising when one contemplates the beautiful colouring. Mature fish have a body colour of a deep blue-green with blue spots. The dorsal fin is edged with red.

As the fish matures the colours turn out to be less volatile and brilliant.

It is a hardy species, growing to 7 inches long, and it is an outstanding breeder and parent.