Multidens cichlid

Heterochromis multidens

Also known as African heterochromis

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.2
Adult size: 11.8 in (30 cm)
Minimum tank: 159 gal (600 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Central Congo basin
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

Heterochromis multidens is a big, robust and rarely seen Congo cichlid, best kept alone or as a single pair rather than in a group. It swims in the middle of the tank and is aggressive, so tankmates need choosing with real care: only large, sturdy fish that can hold their own, and often it is easiest to keep it on its own. It is carnivorous, taking small fish and invertebrates in the wild, and in the tank it accepts meaty frozen foods and quality pellets. Give it a tank of at least 600 liters with rock and wood to break up territory. This is a specialist's fish, imported only occasionally.

In the wild

Heterochromis multidens lives along the forested margins of the central Congo basin, in warm, soft, often tea-colored water. Aim for a temperature range of 23–28 C and a pH of 6.0–7.2. A dim tank with tannin-stained water, a sand floor, and plenty of driftwood and leaf litter suits it, with rock to define territories. Subdued lighting and cover help this shy, big-bodied fish settle in.

Good to know

Heterochromis multidens belongs to the cichlid family and reaches about 30 centimeters. It is the only species in its genus and sits on one of the deepest branches of the African cichlid tree, an early offshoot rather than a member of the great rift-lake radiations. Its breeding is essentially unrecorded in aquaria, though from its anatomy it is thought to be a substrate spawner rather than a mouthbrooder.

Did you know

Its unusual anatomy once led scientists to suspect it was more closely related to the cichlids of the Americas than to those of Africa; it now sits so deep in the family tree that it is effectively a sister to the entire African cichlid group.