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Edit Mesoheros festae

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Name

Scientific name

Mesoheros festae

Described by

Authority Boulenger, Year 1899, Bracketed

Family

Cichlidae

Common names

Red Terror

Photograph credits

All 1 credited

Summary

The red terror, Mesoheros festae, is a large, territorial cichlid from the Rio Esmeraldas in Ecuador and the Rio Tumbes in Peru. Males reac…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

508mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 210 cm, Minimum depth 60 cm, Minimum height 60 cm

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 25–29°C, pH 6–8

Hardness

4–18dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Territorial

Social needs

Not recorded

Community suitability

Not recorded

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Ecuador, Peru, Singapore

Writing

Etymology

Not written yet

Distribution

Ecuador and Peru, with an extant introduced population also thriving in Singapore. Known from both the Rio Esmeraldas in Ecuador and the Rio Tumbes in Peru.

Habitat

A seemingly adaptable species existing in various types of habitat, usually in rivers and their tributaries.

Aquarium size

210 ∗ 60 ∗ 60 cm - ~756 litres

Maintenance

Make sure there is a lot of swimming area for Mesoheros festae, but also provide cover in the form of stable rocks and bits of wood. The Red Terror is a digger…

Water conditions

Temperature: 25 – 29 °C pH: 6.0 to 8.0 Hardness: 4 to 18°dH

Diet

Available scientific data suggests the species feeds mainly on benthic aquatic crustaceans and other invertebrates. It also probably consumes on the fry of oth…

Where does this come from?

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Behaviour and compatibility

Very territorial and can sometimes be downright aggressive. Only house with similarly sized, similarly aggressive, robust fish. Anything which the red terror c…

Sexual dimorphism

Females keep their juvenile colours of vivid red with black bands. Males are larger.

Reproduction

The Red Terror is a cave brooder and will lay their eggs in caves or in sheltered areas. Rockwork is usually the best bet, especially with Festae over 12". A n…

Notes

The Red Terror can be troublesome to breed due to pairing problems - if a pair of fish are incompatible and are housed together for any length of time, it is l…

References

References

No references