They are prolific breeders and attentive parents. They spend most of their time in their territory near plants or a cave inside an aquarium. They are highly territorial fish and may fight other cichlids or chase away any fish that comes near them. They will strike and injure other fish species, including those that are three times their size. Behavior & TemperamentĬonvict cichlids are aggressive, just like other fish in the Cichlidae family. Their black stripes are more prominent than the males. Females have a bright color with red/yellow dots on the belly. Generally, the male fish are longer and larger than females. Interestingly, the pink cichlids do not have vertical stripes and are more common among aquarists. ColorĪlthough native convict cichlids are black, you can also find them in gold, white, and pink varieties due to selective breeding. They can reach up to 6 inches, while the females can reach up to 4.5 inches.įemale convict cichlids appear more striking than their counterparts due to their striking colors with tints of red, gold, and violet. Male convict cichlids are bigger than females. Some may look different in the Aquarium, but that is mainly due to the lighting. The bars are black, but the body is grayish-blue, while the hue is generally consistent with slight variation. Most prefer cichlids with plenty of well-defined stripes. The bars are one of the first things that most aquarists look for when buying fish. The fish have about eight bars, but they can be larger or smaller. The dorsal and anal fins dangle back, similar to a sail. The dorsal fin is semi-transparent and has black stripes. The fish’s dorsal and pectoral fins start some way back from the mount.
The fish appears similar to the African cichlid but has different patterns and colors. The convict cichlid gets its name from the vertical stripes found on its grayish body. They also have sharp teeth and may injure other fish.
The scientific name of the fish is Archocentrus nigrofasciatus, and it belongs to the Cichlidae family.ĭespite their small size, they are aggressive due to their territorial nature. The black convict cichlid fish is also called the zebra cichlid due to its unique black stripes. These are hardy species since they learn to adapt to different types of water conditions. They mostly live in slow-moving waters with rocky and sandy substrates. The convict cichlids are freshwater fish found in Central America’s rivers, from Costa Rica to Panama.
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