Red-lined dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma rubrolineata

Also known as Bolivian red-line apisto

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 2 in (5 cm)
Minimum tank: 16 gal (60 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Rio Manuripi, Pando, northern Bolivia
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

A pair in 60 liters behaves like a classic apisto: cave-centered female, patrol-minded male, and steady appetite for frozen and small dry foods. Water demands are moderate by apisto standards. Since Bolivian exports are nearly nonexistent, the fish persists through hobby breeding; a spawning pair is worth real effort, and fry raise readily on baby brine shrimp.

In the wild

Known from the Rio Manuripi in northern Bolivia, this apisto lives along stream margins with sand, litter, and marginal plants in mildly acidic water. Bolivia's lowlands run a touch cooler than the central Amazon, so 23 to 27 degrees Celsius suits it, with pH 5.5 to 7.0 over a standard sand-litter-cave layout.

Good to know

Described in 2002 by Hein, Zarske and Zapata, Apistogramma rubrolineata reaches about 5 centimeters and takes its name from the parallel red lines males draw along the flanks. It is one of only a handful of described Bolivian apistos, a country whose dwarf cichlid fauna remains barely collected.

Did you know

Its red pinstripes make it one of the few apistos you can identify from a photo of just the flank, no fins or face required.

Tank mates

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