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Lenticulata pike cichlid

Lugubria lenticulata

Also known as Crenicichla lenticulata, Spot face pike

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH
4.8–6.5
Adult size
14.2 in (36 cm)
Minimum tank
185 gal (700 L)
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
Tankmates with caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Rare
Origin
Negro and Orinoco blackwaters
Family
Cichlidae

Overview

One of the giant blackwater pike cichlids, and a fish that needs planning rather than impulse. It is solitary and aggressive, so it is kept as a single specimen or, in a very large tank, as an established pair, with tankmates chosen as cautiously as a negotiation. It hunts along the bottom among wood and rock and will take any fish it can overpower. Feed it meaty foods and expect a serious appetite. This is a fish for the biggest soft-water tanks, 700 liters or more, and not for a general community.

In the wild

Lugubria lenticulata comes from the blackwater rivers of the Negro and Orinoco systems, where the water is stained like tea, very soft and strongly acidic. Recreate that with a dim tank, tannin-stained water over a sand bed, and a framework of driftwood and rock that gives this big fish cover and broken sightlines. Keep it warm at 24 to 28 C and hold the pH low, roughly 4.8 to 6.5, in soft water with gentle, well-filtered flow.

Good to know

This is a pike cichlid in the family Cichlidae, reaching about 36 centimeters. It was moved out of Crenicichla in a 2023 revision that split the pike cichlids into several genera, and it now sits in the new genus Lugubria. It is a substrate spawner that guards its eggs and fry, and getting a matched pair to breed is hard. The head and body carry a dense scatter of dark spots, the pattern its name lenticulata describes.

Did you know

For more than a century this was simply Crenicichla lenticulata, but a 2023 study of pike cichlid relationships broke the sprawling old genus apart and gave the freckle-headed giants of the blackwater their own name, Lugubria.

Common questions

What size tank does a Lenticulata pike cichlid need?

A Lenticulata pike cichlid needs at least 185 gal (700 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH do Lenticulata pike cichlid need?

Lenticulata pike cichlid are comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 4.8–6.5.

How big do Lenticulata pike cichlid get?

An adult Lenticulata pike cichlid reaches about 14.2 in (36 cm).

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

Freshwater fish · Cichlids · Bottom dwellers

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