SA rariety...

[HaakonH]

I would just like to share a couple of pics of a rare South American Cichlid recently imported to Scandinavia. They are not the most colorful, but they are still very nice and interesting to observe. Can you see what it is?





Haakon

[Philippe Burnel]

Heroina isonicterina ??

[Adrian Indermaur]

I would even say:

Heroina isonycterina!

See also:

http://www.google.ch/imgres?hl=de&sa=X& ... x=88&ty=61

[Bas Pels]

As the name has already been given, I understand the both look like Cryptoheros and behave quite similarily

[Darrell Ullisch]

There was a recent import of these into the US as well. Jeff Rapps says this is the first time in his 25 years of importing Cichlids that he was able to get these, but they have occasionally shown up as bycatch with other Cichlids from the upper Orinoco region. No one ever got enough to get breeding stock out of those, so hopefully this importation in quantity will help us get them breeding.

[HaakonH]

Heroina isonycterina yes There was an unknown number of these imported to our shores recently, and hopefully someone will be able to breed them. I personally only got two, due to a rather high price. I know of at least one person in Sweden who got six. Mine look like a male and a female, and they are now about 8-9 cm / 3.5". They are kept in separate tanks atm, because the male fish acted aggressively towards the other when they first arrived, so I found it best to separate them and shape them up before trying to reintroducing them to each other

Haakon

[smitty]

Some of you guys really know your stuff. I have some real catching up to do. But I also know I can count on you guys for an answer.

[Mark Smith]

Vinny Kutty had this species in California over 12 years ago. My photo in Cichlidae.com of this species was his. Also, Toyin Ojo of Rehoboth Aquatics had this species in awhile back, a year or two ago, if memory serves me correctly.

[Florent]

We also have it in France

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=285

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=5198&p=31296#p31296

[HaakonH]

Does anyone of you know if these are plant-eaters?

Haakon

[HaakonH]

Just a quick update on this species, ccording to my observations.

Heroina isonycterina is a predator. For a few weeks my two fish had their way in my main home-tank (540 liters), which they shared with several tetras and other Cichlids like Ivanacara adoketa, Apistogramma gephyra and Biotodoma cupido. When the lights went out at night, I could hear the splashes as the Heroinas had their late night dinner. Gradually, the Tetras (Copella and Axelrodia) disappeared. The dominant Heroina ruled the tank, reducing the former rulers, the Ivanacaras, to pale spectators with his confident patrolling and extreme appetite. The other Heroina was chased out of sight as soon as it emerged from the dense plantation. Bearing in mind that my heroinas are still far from full grown, I can only imagine what awaits as they grow further. Today I removed them from the tank, to restore some degree of peace in there. No plants were touched by the Heroinas. They are beautiful and interesting creatures, but I will need to house them in a slightly different set-up.





Haakon