TankBud

Lenticulata pike cichlid

Lugubria lenticulata

Also known as Crenicichla lenticulata, Spot face pike

FreshwaterFish

Lenticulata pike cichlid (Lugubria lenticulata)

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
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Negro and Orinoco blackwaters

Overview

The Lenticulata pike cichlid is one of the giant blackwater pike cichlids, a fish that needs planning rather than impulse. It is manageable for a keeper with some experience.

Did you know

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

Caring for the Lenticulata pike cichlid

Give a Lenticulata pike cichlid one of the biggest soft-water tanks, at least 185 gal (700 L). Keep it dim, with tannin-stained water over a sand bed. A framework of driftwood and rock gives this big fish cover and broken sightlines.

Keep the water soft, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C), and hold the pH low, at 4.8 to 6.5. Give it gentle, well-filtered flow. Feed meaty foods and expect a serious appetite.

It is solitary and aggressive, so keep a single specimen, or an established pair in a very large tank. Choose tank mates with great caution. It hunts along the bottom among wood and rock, and it will take any fish it can overpower. It does not belong in a general community.

It is a substrate spawner that guards its eggs and fry. Getting a matched pair to breed is hard.

Good to know

The Lenticulata pike cichlid is a pike cichlid in the family Cichlidae. Its head and body carry a dense scatter of dark spots, the pattern its name lenticulata describes.

In the wild

The Lenticulata pike cichlid comes from the blackwater rivers of the Negro and Orinoco systems. The water there is stained like tea, very soft and strongly acidic.

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 does a Lenticulata pike cichlid need?

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

What does a Lenticulata pike cichlid eat?

A Lenticulata pike cichlid eats meaty foods and has a serious appetite. It will also take any fish it can overpower.

How big does a Lenticulata pike cichlid get?

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

How does a Lenticulata pike cichlid breed?

The Lenticulata pike cichlid is a substrate spawner that guards its eggs and fry. A matched pair is hard to get breeding.

Related species