Heterospila cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a large, dusky lowland cichlid, undemanding about food but insistent on space, and best kept singly or as one settled pair. It works the lower water and digs, and it holds a territory firmly, so keep it only with other large, robust fish and give a tank of at least 450 liters. Provide caves and shelter among rock and driftwood so tankmates have somewhere to retreat and a pair can define a home. It is a generalist feeder in the wild, taking invertebrates, insects, and plant matter, so offer a varied diet of sinking pellets, frozen foods, and some vegetable content. Avoid small fish it could treat as prey.

In the wild

The Montecristo cichlid lives in the slow lowland rivers and lagoons of the Grijalva and Usumacinta country in southern Mexico, in warm water over soft bottoms with wood and rock for cover. Recreate that with a sandy floor, driftwood, and sizeable stones forming caves. Keep the water warm at 24–29 C, hard, and a touch alkaline, around pH 7.2–8.5, with strong filtration to match a big, messy fish.

Good to know

Oscura heterospila is the only species in its genus, a member of the family Cichlidae reaching about 29 centimeters. The species name refers to its scattered, irregular spotting, while the genus name Oscura is Spanish for dark, for its dusky coloring. It lays its eggs on a solid surface and guards the brood as a pair, with breeding of moderate difficulty.

Did you know

Its genus name, Oscura, is simply the Spanish word for dark, an unusual choice among the mostly Greek and Latin names of cichlids, picked for the shadowy coloring of this single species genus.

Common questions

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