Apistogramma

Apistogramma agassizii is a dwarf cichlid found through much of the Amazon/Solimões basin, from the Río Ucayali in Peru to the Capim River in Brazil. Colour and pattern vary considerably with locality, and numerous ornamental forms have been selectively bred for the trade. It inhabits slower-moving tributaries and creeks where leaf litter collects. Captive-raised fish suit the community aquarium, while wild fish are best kept alone or with small dither fishes.

The redspot dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma alacrina, is from the Río Guaviare (Orinoco) and Río Orteguaza (Amazon) drainages in Colombia. It differs from all other described members of the genus in having dark blotches at the dorsal and ventral base of the pectoral fins. Three very similar fishes coded A106, A107 and A108 may or may not be conspecific with it, since they show some differences in colour pattern and morphology.

The Inca dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma baenschi, is from tributaries of the lower Río Huallaga in the Amazonian portion of northern Peru. Coded A188 under the DATZ system, it is produced on a commercial basis and is perhaps among the most suitable Apistogramma for those new to dwarf cichlids. Wild fish come from shallow forest tributaries with very soft, tea-stained water and a pH measured between 4.1 and 6.3.

Barlow's dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma barlowi, may be endemic to the Ampiyacu River system, an affluent of the Amazon in northeastern Peru. Adult males have a disproportionately large head with enormous jaws and hypertrophied lips. It is one of only two Apistogramma known to be facultative, biparental, larviphorous mouthbrooders, and apparently favours cool, flowing forest streams (igarapés).

The two-striped dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma bitaeniata, ranges across the Peruvian, Colombian and Brazilian Amazon, from the Marañón to the Tapajós. Also known as the banded dwarf cichlid, it occurs in several colour forms depending on locality, loosely grouped as 'red', 'blue', 'orange' and 'yellow' in the hobby. Many locality names are in use for these forms, and several are regularly applied incorrectly.

Borelli's dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma borellii, is from southern Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. Also known as the umbrella or yellow dwarf cichlid, it occurs in creeks and tributaries of the rio Paraguay, lower rio Paraná and Uruguay systems. Captive-raised fish are the recommended choice for the community aquarium, while wild examples are best kept alone or with small dither fishes.

Apistogramma brevis is a dwarf cichlid from the Rio Uaupés basin in far northwestern Brazil and the Rio Tiquié in southern Colombia. It has also been recorded in the upper Rio Negro and Rio Orinoco, and inhabits slow-moving blackwater streams where the pH can drop as low as 4.0 or 5.0. Coded A168, it is the type species of the A. brevis group, and breeding is not too difficult if very soft, acidic water can be provided.

The cockatoo cichlid, Apistogramma cacatuoides, is a small cichlid from the upper Amazon basin, from the Ucayali in Peru to the Solimões in Brazil. It lives in slow tributaries, backwaters and creeks where leaf litter collects. Numerous line-bred forms such as 'double red' and 'orange flash' are traded, and captive-raised fish suit a community aquarium, while wild fish are best kept alone or with small dither fishes.

The ash lipped apisto, Apistogramma cinilabra, is a cichlid from shallow blackwater backwaters between Iquitos and Nauta in Loreto, Peru. Males carry the namesake ash-grey lips, red pectoral bases and red spots on the chest, and the body is disproportionately high. The description suggests it may be threatened in its native range, though not enough data exist to confirm this, and the emphasis should be on forming a captive population.

The Corumbá dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma commbrae, is widespread in the Paraguay River watershed of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. One of the smallest members of the genus, it is told apart with the rest of the A. commbrae complex by a conspicuous double caudal peduncle spot. Its habitats cool seasonally to as low as 16 °C, and it should be kept cooler over winter.

Apistogramma elizabethae is a dwarf cichlid from the rio Uaupés and adjacent rio Içana, both tributaries of the upper rio Negro in Brazil. Coded A208, it is among the more sought-after Apistogramma in the hobby. Içana fish tend to have more blue on the head than those from the Uaupés, a reddish population is traded as A. elizabethae 'super red', and none of the forms should be mixed in aquaria.

Apistogramma eremnopyge (A218) is a dwarf cichlid known only from Loreto region in northeastern Peru, in the Itaya, Nanay and Tapiche drainages. Traded under names including A. sp. 'strawberry', 'red beard' and 'diamante', it has a dark blotch low on the caudal peduncle in both sexes. Pairs can apparently be kept only when other pairs are visible in adjacent tanks, so a group of several males with more females is preferable.

Apistogramma eunotus is a dwarf cichlid from the Río Ucayali in Peru and the Solimões/Amazon in Colombia and Brazil, as far east as the Japurá. Coded A73 under the DATZ system, it has similar-looking, possibly conspecific populations referred to as A74 to A77 depending on locality. It inhabits slow-moving streams, creeks and tributaries, and captive-raised fish are the recommended choice for the community aquarium.

The blackline apisto, Apistogramma gibbiceps, is a dwarf cichlid from the Rio Branco and middle Rio Negro basins in Brazil. It is identified by a row of short dark marks low on the flank below the lateral band, which show most clearly on a settled fish. Meinken's type series held three species, and A. roraimae from the Rio Branco has been treated as a synonym since 2003.

Apistogramma hoignei is a dwarf cichlid from the Río Orinoco basin in Venezuela, including the Apure, Arauca and Caura drainages. It is also known from much of the lower Orinoco mainstream. Coded A116 under the DATZ system, it has similar-looking, possibly conspecific populations referred to as A117 or A118, and inhabits slower-moving tributaries, backwaters and creeks where leaf litter collects.

Apistogramma hongsloi is a dwarf cichlid from the Río Vichada and middle Río Meta basins in Colombia and the middle Orinoco in Venezuela. Coded A110 under the DATZ system, it has similar-looking, possibly conspecific populations referred to as A111 to A115 depending on locality. It lives in small tributaries and still waters, and males grow to 55 to 60 mm and females to 40 to 45 mm.

Apistogramma macmasteri is a dwarf cichlid known only from the Río Guaytiquía and Río Metica basins in the upper Río Meta system, Colombia. Coded A120 under the DATZ system, it has a similar-looking, possibly conspecific population referred to as A122, and A121 is the ornamental 'red' form. Captive-raised fish are the recommended choice for the community aquarium.

Apistogramma mendezi is a dwarf cichlid from the lower rio Negro basin in northwestern Brazil, found in blackwater tributaries and flooded forest. Populations coded A220, A221 and A222 may be conspecific and differ in colour pattern, particularly the orientation of the caudal-fin markings. Most collections for the trade appear to come from further upstream, around Santa Isabel do Rio Negro or São Gabriel da Cachoeira.

Known in the trade as the 'panda dwarf cichlid', Apistogramma nijsseni is from tributaries of the Río Ucayali in Loreto Region, northern Peru. Coded A180 under the DATZ system, it inhabits slow-moving blackwater streams and creeks where the pH can drop as low as 4.0 or 5.0 and the substrate is littered with branches and a deep layer of rotting leaves.

Apistogramma norberti is a dwarf cichlid from the Río Tahuayo and Río Tamshiyacu, minor Amazon tributaries south of Iquitos in northeastern Peru. Known before its description as A. sp. 'großmaul' or 'bigmouth', and coded A190, its position within the genus is unresolved and it is only tentatively placed in the A. cacatuoides group. It lives in minor jungle streams whose volume changes significantly with the season.

Apistogramma panduro is a dwarf cichlid from the Río Ucayali drainage and the Río Tahuayo in Loreto Region, northern Peru. Also known as the blue panda cichlid and by the trade name A. sp. 'pandurini', it is told apart from similar species by a lower jaw that extends beyond the upper. It can be quite aggressive towards conspecifics, though pairs often remain monogamous once formed.

The pantaloon cichlid, Apistogramma pantalone, is a small cichlid probably endemic to the Nanay river system in northern Peru. It lives in shallow, hyper-acidic forest streams, and unlike many congeners does not fare well if water parameters deviate far from nature. A facultative mouthbrooder, it has been traded as A. sp. 'Lyretail 1' and is very similar to the closely related A. martini.

Apistogramma paulmuelleri (A52) is a dwarf cichlid apparently endemic to Loreto, Peru, described from a forest stream near the Iquitos to Nauta road. It has been traded as A. sp. 'Apache', a name also applied to other, non-conspecific Apistogramma. Since 2009 parts of the type locality stream have been degraded by removal of riparian vegetation.

Apistogramma sp. 'breitbinden' is an undescribed dwarf cichlid from the upper Rio Negro in Brazil, the Venezuelan Orinoco and the Inirida in Colombia. The German name means 'broad-banded' and refers to the uniformly broad suborbital stripe of males. Known in the hobby for several decades, it is often imported as bycatch among shipments of wild-collected A. iniridae, and some populations carry the DATZ codes A164, A165 and A167.

Apistogramma sp. 'Kelleri' is an undescribed dwarf cichlid known only from minor jungle tributaries near Leticia, Amazonas department, Colombia. First collected in 2008, it was exported again in 2009 and 2010 as A. sp. 'Jutai' and A. sp. 'diamond face', with a Brazilian collection site the exporter later corrected to Leticia. It has also appeared on trade lists as A. sp. 'Leticia', and belongs to the A. barlowi complex.

Steindachner's apisto, Apistogramma steindachneri, is a dwarf cichlid from the Essequibo, Demerara and other river systems of Guyana and Suriname. It lives in slower-moving tributaries and streams with leaf litter and submerged wood. The form from the Demerara drainage carries the DATZ code A138, and a very similar fish from the Cuyuni basin in eastern Venezuela (A139) may or may not be conspecific.

The three-striped apisto, Apistogramma trifasciata, is a dwarf cichlid from the Guaporé, Paraguay and middle Paraná basins. Found in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, it lives in sluggish creeks, tributaries and smaller rivers where leaf litter collects. A narrow third stripe from the pectoral-fin insertion to the anal fin helps separate it from congeners. The DATZ code is A204, with possibly conspecific forms from Argentina and the rio Guaporé coded A205 and A206.

The red edge apisto, Apistogramma viejita, is a dwarf cichlid from the upper Meta basin, part of the Orinoco system in Colombia. Many forms of A. macmasteri enter the trade incorrectly labelled viejita. Male A. viejita have a dark top edge to the dorsal fin and A. macmasteri does not. It inhabits shallow, slow-moving shoreline water with abundant riparian and emergent vegetation, often in savannah country.