Firemouth Cichlid

Cichlasoma meeki
Firemouth Cichlid
Habitat:
Rivers in Mexico and Guatemala
Length:
150 mm (6 in.)
Diet:
Wide range of prepared foods; Bloodworms; Shrimp; Other live foods
Sex difference:
Males are more colorful than females; have larger extensions on dorsal and anal fin tips.
Compatibility:
Bully towards community fish; Can be kept with other cichlids
Breeding:
A spawning pair show an intensification of colour, with the male developing a particularly brlght red throat and belly-hence the common name. Once an area has been selected, the male defends the territory, chasing off all other fishes while he impresses the female with his 'peacock' style of display, which involves blowing out his gills and displaying his fins. The actual spawning site (usually a rock surface) is cleaned and protected by the pair, and then up to 500 eggs are produced by the female and fertilized at once by the male. Once hatched, the fry are kept in hollows dug out by the pair until they're free swimming and capable of following the adults. The fry can be fed freshly hatched brine shrimp and powdered flake food. This, together with the cloud of chewed food the parents spit out after feeding, should see them safely through the 14-21 day stage, when they should be removed to a separate aquarium for growing on.
Tank conditions:
pH 7.0; Hardness 12; Temp 76ºF; Size 40 gal
Comments
Firemouth Cichlids were first imported into the USA in about 1915 and into Europe in the 1930s. The present generation of aquarium fishes are commercially bred in the Far East and the colour exaggerated by hormone feeding.