Barlow's dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma barlowi

Also known as Mouthbrooding apisto

FreshwaterFish

Barlow's dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma barlowi) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 4.5–6.5
Adult size: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Blackwater forest streams near Pebas, Loreto, Peru
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

Keep a pair in 75 liters or more; males are rough with unready females, so cover and sight breaks matter. It takes live, frozen, and sinking dry foods. Because the female broods in her mouth for up to two weeks, she needs quiet corners and no harassment, which argues for either a species tank or very gentle tankmates. Water must stay soft and acidic for eggs to develop.

In the wild

Apistogramma barlowi comes from shallow blackwater forest streams near Pebas in northern Peru, water so soft it barely registers on a hardness test. It lives over leaf litter in slow current. Set up sand, botanicals, caves, and dim light at 23 to 28 degrees Celsius with pH 4.5 to 6.5. Males develop heavy heads and long fin extensions in good conditions.

Good to know

Described by Römer and Hahn in 2008 and named for the cichlid researcher George Barlow, this is one of the very few mouthbrooding Apistogramma. Females of most populations pick up the eggs and carry larvae in the mouth, a behavior almost unheard of in the genus, which otherwise glues eggs to cave ceilings. Males reach about 8 centimeters and are stocky for a dwarf cichlid.

Did you know

This is the apisto that broke the rulebook: females carry their brood in the mouth, and researchers documented some pairs splitting the larvae between both parents' mouths.

Tank mates

Barlow's dwarf cichlid is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.