Johanna pike cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

This is a very large pike cichlid, a serious predator for a monster fish sized setup rather than a general community. Keep a single specimen, or a bonded pair, in a big tank of at least 700 liters with a long footprint. It patrols the lower water along structure and treats any tankmate small enough to swallow as food, so only very large, sturdy fish are safe with it, and even those need space to stay clear. Furnish the tank with large driftwood and rock to make territory and sight breaks. Feed substantial meaty foods such as large pellets, prawn, mussel, and fish fillet, and take care at feeding time with a fish this large and strong. It is a long term commitment to a big, demanding animal.

In the wild

The johanna pike cichlid ranges widely across northern South America, hunting along submerged structure in the large rivers of the Amazon basin and the Guianas. Recreate that with a sandy floor, big pieces of driftwood, and rock to form the cover it hunts from, in warm, soft, slightly acidic to neutral water. Keep it at 24–28 C and around pH 5.5–7.2, with strong filtration and plenty of open space to suit a large, active predator.

Good to know

Lugubria johanna is a member of the family Cichlidae and one of the larger pike cichlids, reaching about 34 centimeters. Long known as Crenicichla johanna, it was recently placed in the new genus Lugubria when the sprawling genus Crenicichla was divided. Females often develop a reddish belly in breeding condition. It spawns in a sheltered crevice, with the pair guarding the young together, and it is difficult to breed.

Did you know

It was first described back in 1840 by the Austrian naturalist Johann Jakob Heckel, which makes it one of the earliest pike cichlids ever named by science.

Common questions

Related species

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