Laetacara

This species was known as L. sp. 'Buckelkopf' in the aquarium hobby prior to publication of its official description. It's distinguished from all congeners by possessing 7-8 dorsal-fin rays (vs. 9–10 in L. dorsigera, L. fulvipinnis and L. thayeri, 8–9 in L. curviceps and L. flamannellus, and 9–11 in L. flavilabris).

Native to the lower Amazon river basin in Brazil with some populations exhibiting differences in colour pattern to one another, particularly in respect of the degree of red and blue pigmentation on the body and fins. Type locality is given simply as 'Amazon River, Brazil'. Field observations suggest it to display a pref...

Wild fish are probably foragers feeding on algae, organic detritus, small insects, worms, crustaceans, and other zooplankton. In the aquarium it's easily-fed but the best condition and colours offer regular meals of small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, Daphnia, and Artemia, alongside good quality dried flakes and granules, at least some of which should include additional plant or algal content.

Sympatric fish species in the grasslands include Rivulus schuncki, juveniles of Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus and an unidentified Nannostomus sp. One contrasting locality was a flowing igarapé with the fish collected from shallow water alongside Apistogramma gossei, Crenicichla inpa,unidentified...

Has been collected from habitats containing clear, soft, acidic, tea-coloured blackwater, most typically among leaf litter or submerged vegetation in very shallow (10-50 cm depth) water along the margins of streams and other minor tributaries. At a village called El Niñal close to the mouth of the rio Pasimoni in the Casiquiare drainage pH was...

This species is relatively rare in the aquarium trade. It can be differentiated from all congeners by a combination of possessing ctenoid (vs. cycloid) scales on the sides of the head plus lacking a dark spot at the caudal-fin base.