Tag Archives: Andinoacara

Andinoacara latifrons Rio Atrato

13. December 2021

This beautiful cichlid has been swimming in the world’s aquariums since 1906 and has been delighting for generations with its varied behavior and beautiful looking brood care. The animals are typical open breeders with parent family, i.e. both parents lead the numerous brood.

Confusion gave in the course of time due naming. For a long time the fish was listed in the genus Aequidens and Andinoacara latifrons was considered for a long time as a synonym to the similar species A. pulcher. Our animals – German offspring – are descended from parent fish caught in the Rio Atrato in Colombia. 

The maximum length of the fish is about 17 cm, from about 6-8 cm length they are able to spawn. Andinoacara latifrons has always been considered a relatively calm, little burrowing species that is gentle with plants. The larger the aquarium, the more peaceful the cichlids are.

For our customers: the fish have code 613804 on our stock list. Please note that we supply only wholesale. 

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer

Andinoacara rivulatus

22. March 2019

Once colourful large cichlids were so popular that imports from Ecuador were organised mainly because of them. On the pacific side of the country live the “Green Terror”, so the then still Aequidens rivulatus named gold seam cichlids were called, and the “Red Terror”, then Cichlasoma festae, today Mesoheros festae. Both species become easily over 20 cm long (the maximum-size of M. festae lies even with 25 cm), are extremely colorful, but can also distribute neatly.

These times are long past and M. festae has become almost a rarity in the trade. Almost all animals offered under this name are in reality Mayaheros urophthalmus. But Andinoacara rivulatus, as the Green Terror is now called, is still available from time to time; we have now once again got very pretty specimens, they are offspring from Indonesia. 

The gold seam cichlid is an open breeder with a biparental family. A leading pair with juveniles is one of the most beautiful sights you can have in an aquarium.

For our customers: the animals have code 610003 on our stocklist. Please note that we only supply wholesalers.

Text & photos: Frank Schäfer