Cherry-belly jewel cichlid

Rubricatochromis cerasogaster

Also known as Hemichromis cerasogaster

FreshwaterFish

Cherry-belly jewel cichlid (Rubricatochromis cerasogaster) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 3.5 in (9 cm)
Minimum tank: 53 gal (200 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lake Mai-Ndombe basin, Congo
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a jewel cichlid with the family's fiery streak, best kept as a single fish or a bonded pair that holds its own corner of the tank. It works the lower levels and turns aggressive when spawning, guarding a patch of the bottom hard, so choose tankmates with real care and be ready to keep it as a species-only pair. Feed meaty frozen foods, sinking pellets, and the occasional bit of greens. A pair needs around 200 liters with tannin-stained water, wood, and plants or rockwork to break the tank into defensible territory.

In the wild

Rubricatochromis cerasogaster is found only around Lake Mai-Ndombe in the Congo basin, a shallow, tea-colored blackwater lake. The water is soft and acidic and stained dark by tannins, so keep the pH between 5.5 and 7 and the temperature around 23 to 27 C. Dim lighting, a soft dark floor, driftwood, leaf litter, and some cover let its color come up and give a spawning pair somewhere to set up. Peat or almond leaves help mimic the natural blackwater.

Good to know

Rubricatochromis cerasogaster is a small jewel cichlid in the family Cichlidae, reaching about 9 centimeters. Its name means cherry-bellied, for the deep red the underside takes on in good condition. It is an open-substrate spawner with a strong pair bond, both parents tending eggs and fry. A 2022 revision of the jewel cichlids moved this and its relatives out of Hemichromis into the new genus Rubricatochromis.

Did you know

It is one of the very few jewel cichlids tied to a single lake. Where most of its relatives are widespread and adaptable, this one lives only in the blackwater of Lake Mai-Ndombe, where soft, acidic water brings out the cherry-red belly it is named for.