Monogram dwarf pike

Teleocichla monogramma

Also known as Monogramma teleocichla

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 79–86°F (26–30°C)
pH: 6.0–7.2
Adult size: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Tapajós and Jamanxim rapids
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

The monogram dwarf pike is a tiny, current-loving cichlid that stays under about 8 centimeters and lives right on the bottom among stones. It is social in a suitable setup, so a small group can share a long tank if there are enough crevices for each fish to claim a hiding spot. It is fairly peaceful and will not touch fish too big to swallow, but choose tankmates with care: it is easily outcompeted for food and dislikes slow, still, warm water. What it really needs is strong flow, high oxygen and clean stone, more than a varied menu. Feed small meaty foods such as frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and cyclops. A tank of around 110 liters with brisk current suits a group.

In the wild

Teleocichla monogramma lives in the rapids of the Tapajos and Jamanxim rivers in Brazil, clinging to rock in fast, broken, well-oxygenated water. To keep it well you have to build a river in the tank: strong flow from powerheads, a floor of rounded stones and pebbles, and warm, soft to neutral water at 26–30 C and a pH of 6.0–7.2. Bright, oxygen-rich, briskly moving water matters more to this fish than any decoration.

Good to know

Teleocichla monogramma belongs to the cichlid family and reaches only about 8 centimeters, which places it among the smallest cichlids of the Americas. The genus Teleocichla is a group of slender, rheophilic pike cichlids restricted to fast water, and this species is named for its single thin lengthwise stripe, monogramma meaning one line. It is a substrate spawner that hides its eggs in a crevice, and breeding is of moderate difficulty.

Did you know

Teleocichla pike cichlids live only in rapids and cataracts, which ties their survival to free-flowing rivers; the damming of Amazon tributaries such as the Tapajos is a direct threat to fish like this one.