All fish / Cichlidae

Texas Cichlid

Herichthys cyanoguttatus

Also known as texas cichlid, rio grande cichlid, rio grande perch, pearl cichlid, green texas cichlid, texas cichlasoma, cichlasoma cyanoguttatum, herichthys carpintis look-alike, ปลาหมอเท็กซัส, テキサスシクリッド, ikan texas, 德州豹

A stocky, deep-bodied cichlid covered in pearly blue-white to turquoise spots on a grey-green body, often with a few dark blotches along the flank and a nuchal hump in older males. It is the only cichlid native to the United States and is kept for its striking spangled colour, its personality and its interesting parental behaviour.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

20 to 28 °C

pH

6.5 to 8

Smallest tank

300 litres

Keep as

Single fish or a bonded pair; best kept with robust tankmates in a large tank

Diet

Omnivore: quality cichlid pellets, shrimp, insect larvae, worms and plenty of vegetable matter such as peas and spirulina

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Rio Grande and Pánuco-area drainages of southern Texas (USA) and northeastern Mexico

Breeding

A substrate spawner that lays eggs on a cleaned flat stone, with both parents guarding the eggs and free-swimming fry fiercely. Breeding is fairly easy once a compatible pair forms, but males can be violent towards unready females, so a divider or a large tank with cover helps.

Good to know

Adults can exceed 25 cm and become very territorial, especially when breeding, so they are unsuitable for community tanks. Many fish sold as Texas cichlids are actually the similar Herichthys carpintis or hybrids, and it is an established invasive species in parts of the southern USA.