Martin's dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma martini

Also known as Whitethroat apisto

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 5.0–6.8
Adult size: 1.6 in (4 cm)
Minimum tank: 15 gal (55 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Forest streams of the lower Rio Tigre region, Loreto, Peru
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

A quiet 55-liter tank suits a pair. Feed small live and frozen foods, with fine granules once the fish settle. It is shy, so floating cover and calm micro-tankmates, or none at all, bring it out. Females spawn in litter cavities and defend tiny territories fiercely for their size. Soft, clean, warm water keeps this delicate species healthy.

In the wild

Apistogramma martini comes from small shaded forest streams in northern Peru, where it lives in the leaf-litter margins of soft, gently flowing water. It is a litter dweller through and through. Give it a sand base buried in leaves, twig cover, subdued light, and water at 23 to 27 degrees Celsius with pH 5.0 to 6.8.

Good to know

Described in 2003 by Römer and colleagues, this is one of the genus's small species at about 4 centimeters. It belongs to the atahualpa lineage, and males show a pale throat against a dusky face along with a short, deep body. Like its relatives it was circulating under a hobby code before the formal description settled its identity.

Did you know

Males of this little apisto flash a white chin strap during displays, a headlight in the gloom of a leaf-litter stream.

Tank mates

Martin'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.