Rio Muni benitochromis

Benitochromis riomuniensis

Also known as Bidou mouthbrooder

FreshwaterFish

Rio Muni benitochromis (Benitochromis riomuniensis) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 5.5–7.0
Adult size: 3.5 in (9 cm)
Minimum tank: 42 gal (160 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Rio Muni basin, Equatorial Guinea
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a small, well-mannered West African cichlid, kept as a single fish or a bonded pair rather than a group. Pairs are peaceful by cichlid standards and mix calmly with other gentle, soft-water fish, though they become more defensive while brooding, so give cover and choose quiet tankmates. It works the lower tank, taking small invertebrates and some algae, so feed frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, and a fine everyday food. It stays around 9 centimeters, so a pair suits about 160 liters planted and furnished with wood and shade.

In the wild

It lives in small forest streams of the Rio Muni region in Equatorial Guinea, in soft, warm, shaded water over sand and leaf litter. Recreate that with soft water, a dark substrate, driftwood, plants, and floating cover to soften the light. Keep the temperature around 23 to 27 C and the pH on the soft, acidic side, roughly 5.5 to 7, with gentle flow and clean, stable conditions.

Good to know

Benitochromis riomuniensis is a cichlid of the family Cichlidae, reaching about 9 centimeters, and takes its name from the Rio Muni district it comes from. It is a biparental, ovophilous mouthbrooder of moderate difficulty: both parents take the eggs into their mouths right after spawning and share the job of carrying the developing young, sometimes passing the brood between them.

Did you know

It shares parenting in an unusual way: both the male and the female mouthbrood, taking turns carrying the eggs and fry and even passing the brood from one parent's mouth to the other.