Depressa teleogramma

Teleogramma depressa

Also known as Flattened darter cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 6.5–7.8
Adult size: 4.5 in (11.5 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: Lower Congo rapids
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a slim, bottom-hugging river cichlid that stakes out a patch of rock and defends it, so keep just one or a single pair per tank rather than a group. It lives right on the substrate, propping itself on its fins between darts across the stone. It is territorial and will squabble, so give it tankmates chosen with care: active, current-loving fishes that keep to open water, and avoid other bottom dwellers that would crowd its floor. It takes most foods readily, from sinking pellets to frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp. A pair needs a tank of at least 200 liters set up with strong flow and a broken floor of slabs and stones.

In the wild

Teleogramma depressa comes from the rapids of the lower Congo River, a world of fast, oxygen-rich, turbulent water over bedrock and boulders. Recreate the current with strong flow from a pump or two, a floor of flat stone and rubble, and no fussy plants. Keep the water soft to neutral, around 23 to 27 C at a pH from 6.5 to 7.8, and very well oxygenated, which is what these rheophilic fish are built for.

Good to know

A cichlid of the family Cichlidae, this rheophile of the genus Teleogramma reaches about 11.5 centimeters. It is often called the flattest cichlid known, its body pressed down even further than its relative Teleogramma brichardi, an adaptation to wedging into crevices in heavy current. Like others in the genus it is a cave spawner that hides its eggs in a rock crevice, so breeding is a moderate challenge given the right flow and water.

Did you know

Its name comes from how flat it is: pressed down against the rock, it can slip into narrow cracks in the rapids where rounder fish cannot follow, and it rests propped on its pelvic fins like a little tripod.