Dwarf pike cichlid crenicichla are a freshwater aquarium fish of genus cichlids native to South America, commonly known as pike cichlids. Their distribution is in South America east of the Andes, Trinidad and the Guiana shield, through to the Amazon.
Dwarf pike cichlid information reveals that keepers should be prepared of their aggressive and voracious habits.
These fish are strong swimmers so require a large aquarium compared to their adult size and need to be able to search for prey or food to feed on. Those raised in tanks must be fed with quality food.
These fish are also known as two spot dwarf pike cichlids due to the fact that they have spots on their body. Pike cichlids have wide mouths to feed themselves, with an elongated body and their diet consists of small fish, insects, and other plant-based foods in the wild.
They place themselves in undetectable hiding places.
Species of pike cichlids will rarely bother other larger tankmates. South American pike dwarf cichlid (Crenicichla compressiceps) are tropical fish are found in the waters of the Amazon and are known for their aggression.
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Dwarf Pike Cichlid Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a dwarf pike cichlid?
The dwarf pike cichlid crenicichla species is a type of tropical fish.
What class of animal does a dwarf pike cichlid belong to?
The dwarf pike cichlid crenicichla belong to the class fish and phylum Chordata.
How many dwarf pike cichlids are there in the world?
The total population of pike cichlids across the world is unknown.
Where does a dwarf pike cichlid live?
The pike cichlid species lives in among clear and black water rivers in the Brazilian Amazon, often in extreme shallows and is native to freshwater in tropical and subtropical South America, east of the Andes. In aquariums, they require numerous hiding places in the form of driftwood and stones.
Plants are not found in any great abundance in the fast-flowing waters of the natural habitat of pike cichlid crenicichla compressiceps so are not considered essential. Plants grown in the substrate will be uprooted.
What is a dwarf pike cichlid's habitat?
A dwarf pike cichlid crenicichla habitat is known to be in the lower Rio Tocantins basin, Brazil. This fish species can also be kept in aquarium with a size of around 40-48 in (100-120 cm.) in length. During the day, these small fish can be found nearer the water surface and at night return to shallow water.
The green dwarf pike cichlid tank size can be small as they are small.
Dwarf spangled pike cichlid can be a good pet and a dwarf pike cichlid 20 gal (100 l) long tank is needed to keep them. Dwarf pike cichlid cardinal tetra fish originate from the dark, acidic waters of the Negro and Orinoco River basins in Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela.
In the wild, they are often found in large aggregations of hundreds to thousands of individual fish and do not bother dwarf pike cichlid tank mate tetra fish.
Who do dwarf pike cichlids live with?
The dwarf pike cichlid species generally stays in groups, especially in the wild. They are also known to form a distinct social hierarchy in the aquarium if given enough space.
Males are kept with few females in groups as mature females tend to be extremely aggressive towards each other and males when not kept in groups. This compressiceps dwarf species of small fish do not harm other tankmates when the tank size is large as they can find proper hiding places.
How long does a dwarf pike cichlid live?
Dwarf pike cichlids crenicichla have a life span of 10 years. The aquarium water needs to be heavily oxygenated and a moderate amount of currents should be provided as well.
How do they reproduce?
During breeding, a male dwarf pike cichlid crenicichla reaches sexual maturity at a size of around 7 in (18cm), and the female at 5.5 in (14 cm). The mating pair may show aggression to each other prior to breeding.
There is also significant intraspecific aggression among these cichlids. A breeding pair usually digs a pit beneath a cave or piece of wood once they find a spawning site, which is referred to as substrate brooding.
Dwarf pike cichlid crenicichla mate at any time of the year and normally produce a large amount of eggs of around 150.
The eggs are white and oval shaped, and are laid in the nest area. Eggs hatch within four to five days if they are influenced by temperature.
Females take care of the eggs and males protect the territory. After spawning, these eggs hatch according to the water temperature and young ones come out to feed on their own.
Hiding places are an important element in the breeding tank. Once the young are prepared to start swimming, the male adult takes on the responsibility of caring for his young.
What is their conservation status?
The dwarf pike cichlid crenicichla is of Least Concern in World Conservation Union. This means this species is not considered to be threatened or endangered. They can accept water changes situation and can survive accordingly.
Dwarf Pike Cichlid Fun Facts
What do dwarf pike cichlids look like?
The Crenicichla compressiceps species are generally small in size and they are all quite similar. However, females usually possess ringed, eye-like black dots on their dorsal fins.
Pike fish can be kept with eartheaters and catfish, and you can keep them with other dwarf cichlids in a minimum temperature. Make sure they are too large for the Crenicichla to eat.
They are quite similar to greenish yellow tailed dwarf pike cichlid or compressiceps dwarf and dwarf regani pike cichlid, which generally live in the Tocantins River, in Brazil.
This tropical fish has a body size of about 3.14-3.93 in (8.10 cm) in length. Parameters to set a territory, soft sandy substrate and nooks are required.
How cute are they?
A pike cichlid crenicichla compressiceps fish has many subspecies related to this genus which are attractive, cute, and shy in nature. Dwarf green pike cichlid are the smallest species of this genus and also the cutest one.
How do they communicate?
It is unknown as to how they communicate, but they show a change in coloration while breeding which is considered to be a sign of communication.
How big is a dwarf pike cichlid?
The dwarf pike cichlid size ranges between 3.14-3.93 in (8.10 cm) in length, which is two times bigger than a rainbow cichlid.
How fast can a dwarf pike cichlid swim?
The definite swimming speed of this fish is unknown.
How much does a dwarf pike cichlid weigh?
Dwarf pikes weigh around 14.3 lb (6.5 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
No separate names have been used to describe the male and females of this fish species.
What would you call a baby dwarf pike cichlid?
The babies of this dwarf fish is called fry.
What do they eat?
Dwarf pike cichlid crenicichla are aquarium fish that can be fed with quality frozen foods. Those in the wild, prey on bloodworms, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brine shrimp, daphnia, and mysis shrimp. These aquarium fish have a fast metabolism range and keep swimming in search of other wild small fishes and insects.
Feeding this aquarium fish should be done two to three times a day as per a prepared chart. They move to the top of the tank water during feeding time. The diet of this aquarium fish may also include pellets.
They are voracious eaters with a strong preference for meaty foods. They can also be fed with quality frozen foods like meat and sometimes plants too. Live foods such as artemia, mosquito larvae, and even very small fish are also appreciated in their diet.
Are they dangerous?
No, they are not dangerous, but the males can become aggressive among themselves.
Would they make a good pet
Some people raise this fish in tanks as pets. They make a good pet with their good behavior and cute looks. One can find the best dwarf pike cichlid for sale in pet stores.
Did you know...
When raising cichlids in an aquarium, certain parameters should be considered. The tank lighting should not be too bright because that could frighten the fish and make them shy. Also, the tank water temperature should be around 83 F (28 C) and the pH will depend on the type of species kept.
Why is it called a dwarf pike cichlid?
Alfred Russell Wallace first collected the cichlid species in the upper Rio Negro River in Brazil.
What's unique about dwarf pike cichlids?
Cichlids accept water changes and can survive in those circumstances. They originate from Brazil, hide in places for spawning, eat frozen food, and have colored dorsal fins. This fish is a bit wild compared to other fish of the same species.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our bonito fish facts and koi facts pages.
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