Edit Biotoecus opercularis
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Name
Scientific name
Biotoecus opercularis
Described by
Authority Steindachner, Year 1875, Bracketed
Family
Cichlidae
Common names
Not recorded
Photograph credits
All 14 credited
Summary
Biotoecus opercularis is a small geophagine cichlid from the middle Amazon basin in Brazil, including the lower Madeira, Tapajós and Negro.…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
40mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Minimum length 90 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm, Water movement Low: still or sluggish water
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 25–30°C, pH 4–6.5
Hardness
0–5dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Not recorded
Social needs
A pair
Community suitability
Not for a community
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Brazil, Amazon, Branco, Jauaperi, Madeira, Negro, Tapajós
Writing
Etymology
Not written yet
Distribution
Described from 'Lago Saracá' (Lake Saracá) and 'Villa Bella' (the latter a city now known as Parintins), both located between the cities of Manaus and Santarém…
Habitat
Tends to prefer shallow habitats with sandy substrate, patches of leaf litter and submerged, woody strcutures. Water flow is normally quite slow and many habit…
Aquarium size
A single pair could probably be maintained in a tank with base measurements around 45 cm x 30 cm but most successful breeders keep mixed-sex groups in aquaria …
Maintenance
Provided adequate cover and structure is available this species is unfussy with regards to décor with ceramic flowerpots, lengths of plastic piping and other a…
Water conditions
Not written yet
Diet
Stomach contents of dissected wild specimens were found to be composed largely of small invertebrates including chironomid larvae and ostracods. The captive di…
Behaviour and compatibility
Best maintained alone or with small 'dither' fishes such as Nannostomus or Micropoecilia spp., and should not be mixed with other Biotoecus species or populati…
Sexual dimorphism
Males are smaller but develop more colourful and extended fins than females.
Reproduction
Biparental substrate spawner which normally lays its eggs in crevices or cavities among the décor, with the underside of submerged leaves or small caves normal…
Notes
At time of writing there exists no scientific evidence that the different populations of this species seen in the aquarium trade (see 'Distribution') represent…
References
References
2 on this profile