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Eyespot dwarf pike

Wallaciia notophthalmus

Also known as Crenicichla notophthalmus, Notophthalmus dwarf pike

FreshwaterFish

Eyespot dwarf pike (Wallaciia notophthalmus)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
4.8–6.5
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
42 gal
160 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lower Negro and middle Amazon

Overview

The eyespot dwarf pike is a dwarf pike cichlid scaled for a normal tank. It lurks near the bottom among wood and leaf litter, ambushing small prey, and it is not a beginner's fish.

Did you know

The eyespot dwarf pike's new genus name honors Alfred Russel Wallace, who studied the fishes of the Rio Negro in the 1850s. He lost most of his specimens when his ship caught fire on the voyage home, and the science was later rebuilt from what survived.

Caring for the eyespot dwarf pike

Keep the eyespot dwarf pike as a single fish or a bonded pair rather than a group. A pair needs at least 42 gal (160 L), aquascaped with a sandy floor, a bed of leaf litter and tangles of driftwood. Stain the water with tannins from botanicals, and keep the light dim, with some shade.

Keep the water soft and acidic, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 4.8 to 6.5. Feed small meaty foods such as frozen bloodworm, mysis and chopped items. Wean it onto prepared foods over time.

The eyespot dwarf pike is an aggressive micropredator that will eat anything small enough to swallow, and it can be nippy. Choose peaceful tank mates too large to be eaten but not big enough to bully it. Keep them out of its litter-strewn corner.

Females carry the eyespot the name records, a dark ocellus ringed in red on the dorsal fin. It is a cave spawner that hides its eggs and guards the fry. Its need for soft, acidic water makes aquarium breeding hard.

Good to know

The eyespot dwarf pike is a pike cichlid in the family Cichlidae. A 2023 revision of the pike cichlids moved it into the new genus Wallaciia.

In the wild

Wallaciia notophthalmus lives in the blackwater shallows of the lower Rio Negro and middle Amazon. It threads through leaf litter and submerged wood in soft, acidic, tea-colored water.

Common questions

What size tank does an eyespot dwarf pike need?

An eyespot dwarf pike needs at least 42 gal (160 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an eyespot dwarf pike need?

An eyespot dwarf pike is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 4.8–6.5.

What does an eyespot dwarf pike eat?

An eyespot dwarf pike eats small meaty foods such as frozen bloodworm, mysis and chopped items. Wean it onto prepared foods over time.

How big does an eyespot dwarf pike get?

An adult eyespot dwarf pike reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

How can you tell a male eyespot dwarf pike from a female?

A female eyespot dwarf pike carries the eyespot its name records, a dark spot ringed in red on the dorsal fin.

How does an eyespot dwarf pike breed?

The eyespot dwarf pike is a cave spawner that hides its eggs and guards the fry. Its need for soft, acidic water makes breeding it in the aquarium hard.

Related species