All fish / Cichlidae

Jegui Pike Cichlid

Crenicichla jegui

Also known as jegui pike cichlid, pike cichlid jegui, crenicichla sp. jegui, クレニキクラ・イェグイ, 矛鲷

No free-to-use photo of this fish yet. Took one yourself? Send it to us and we will credit you.

This is a large, heavy-jawed pike cichlid from the fast, rocky waters of the Iguaçu system. It is olive to brown with dark blotches and bars, and its big mouth is used to hunt fish and invertebrates. Specialist cichlid keepers like it for its predatory behaviour and its role in research on lip and jaw variation among Iguaçu pike cichlids.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6.5 to 7.8

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a pair in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: fish, prawns, earthworms, mussel and quality sinking pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Brazil and Argentina: upper Paraná basin (Iguaçu/Iguazú River below the falls)

Breeding

It spawns in caves or under rocks, and both parents guard the eggs and the young. Captive breeding is rare because the fish is seldom available and pairs can be very aggressive towards each other.

Good to know

It grows large and eats any fish small enough to swallow, so keep it only with robust tankmates of similar size. It needs clean, well-oxygenated water with strong flow, and it is rarely seen in the trade.