Tucurui dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma tucurui

Also known as Tocantins apisto

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 77–84°F (25–29°C)
pH: 5.0–6.8
Adult size: 2.2 in (5.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 16 gal (60 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lower Rio Tocantins around Tucurui, Para, Brazil
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

Keep a pair in 60 liters with heavy cover. It feeds on frozen and fine dry foods and follows the standard cave-spawning script in soft, warm water. Because collections from the lower Tocantins are rare and its habitat is altered, hobby lines carry weight; raise broods when you get them, and keep notes on the population's look, since forms vary along the river.

In the wild

Apistogramma tucurui comes from the lower Tocantins around the Tucurui reservoir in Brazil, living in litter-lined stream mouths and shore shallows in warm, soft water. Give it the usual apisto frame: sand, leaves, caves, subdued light, and water at 25 to 29 degrees Celsius with pH 5.0 to 6.8.

Good to know

Wolfgang Staeck described this species in 2003 from a region transformed by the Tucurui dam, one of the largest hydroelectric projects in the Amazon. It reaches about 5.5 centimeters and belongs to the regani lineage. Part of its original floodplain habitat now sits under the reservoir, which makes documented captive populations more than a curiosity.

Did you know

This apisto is named for the dam town that flooded part of its home range, a reminder written straight into the species name.

Tank mates

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