Fun Jaguar Guapote Facts For Kids
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Are you interested to know more about cichlid? If yes, then consider yourself lucky as today we are going to talk about the jaguar guapote (Parachromis managuensis) or cichlid that hails from the Atlantic slope of Central America, found usually from Honduras to Costa Rica.
However, this tropical fish has already made its way into the lakes and water bodies of south Florida (not native), Hawaii, Brazil, and even China. This is a food fish for many people especially in its native place where it is frequently caught.
But, for others, this yellow and black fish is a hobby and are kept in aquariums.
This species is known for its yellow body and purple to black spots found against the lateral line which gives it the jaguar-like appearance. It mainly feeds on small fish and aquatic insects while inhabiting freshwater bodies with a rocky or sandy substrate.
Want to know more? Keep reading to find interesting jaguar guapote facts. For more relatable content, check out these rainbow trout facts and rockfish facts for kids.
Jaguar Guapote Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a jaguar guapote?
The jaguar guapote (Parachromis managuensis) or jaguar cichlid is a type of cichlid species.
What class of animal does a jaguar guapote belong to?
The jaguar cichlid, also known as managua cichlid, belongs to the class Actinopterygii and to the genus Parachromis. This fish also belongs to the family Cichlidae, just like the convict cichlid.
How many jaguar guapotes are there in the world?
As a commonly found fish, there is no record of its exact population. However, in its native range, the jaguar guapote fish population record is thought to be around 10,000 individuals. But, owing to its worldwide distribution, the numbers of managua cichlid are quite high.
Where does a jaguar guapote live?
The jaguar guapote (Parachromis managuensis) is native to the Atlantic slope region of Central America where it's mainly found in regions from Honduras to Costa Rica. However, it has also been introduced to places like south Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Brazil, and China.
Moreover, as a common aquarium fish, the jaguar cichlid has also made it to other parts of the world.
What is a jaguar guapote's habitat?
The jaguar cichlid is mainly found in freshwater habitats and prefers turbid and eutrophic lakes. This fish species can also inhabit freshwater areas where oxygen levels are low.
The fish also like to live in freshwater lakes or ponds with mud bottoms or a sandy substrate. As a tropical species, it dwells in a temperature range of 77-97 °F (25-36.1°C) and is usually found at a depth of 10-33 ft (3-10 m).
Who does jaguar guapote live with?
Not much data is found about how this cichlid species lives in the wild. However, when kept in the aquarium one needs to be very careful as these cichlids can be highly aggressive, especially during the breeding season.
How long does a jaguar guapote live?
The life expectancy of the jaguar cichlid is around 15 years. However, some carers of this tropical fish have even been able to extend that life expectancy record.
How do they reproduce?
Jaguar cichlids are known for forming great pairs, and the female often responds to the male quite well. Once the pair has been formed, the fishes would live together happily.
When it's time for spawning, females can deposit up to 2,000 orange eggs on a rocky substrate and males follow it up by spraying their sperm to fertilize the eggs. These cichlids often lay eggs in a cave and both parents are quite aggressive about protecting the nesting sides.
After the eggs hatch, females and males provide food to the hatchlings and wait for them to learn swimming and exploration. At times the fry may even fight amongst each other.
When kept in an aquarium, hobbyists often increase the temperature of a tank to set it spawning amongst the specimens. As fishes in aquariums are often smaller, these females lay around 1,000 eggs and it takes up to seven days for the eggs to hatch.
Once the fries have arrived it's important to provide food like brine shrimp to keep the young and the parents healthy. One common way to know if a female's gravid (carrying eggs) is when there is a reddish tinge near the gill.
What is their conservation status?
According to the IUCN Red List, the jaguar cichlid has been classified under the status of Least Concern. Jaguar guapote threats include certain human activities.
Jaguar Guapote Fun Facts
What does jaguar guapote look like?
The jaguar cichlid appearance is quite similar to the other fishes found in the Cichlidae family and you can understand it by the protruding mouth and jaws.
However, the striking thing about this species has to be the golden yellow color which is often with purple to black spots or blotches seen all over the body and also on the gill plates. This fish has an oval-shaped body like other cichlid species and has fins that extend way beyond its body.
Even the dorsal and tail fins of this species are quite long and prominent, unlike other cichlids.
In males, you will also notice that the anal fin is longer and distinct. This point is an easy way to differentiate between males and females, as the latter has a shorter body length along with small dorsal and anal fins.
This fish also has a slightly flattened head which leads to a protruding mouth.
The young Aztec cichlid has a golden-silver hue and has dark black bands along the lateral line. As adults, these black bands along the lateral line seen in the young will be broken to become prominent patches.
How cute are they?
Unlike the Texas cichlid, the Aztec cichlid species is not really cute, rather you will find it to be more majestic due to its appearance.
How do they communicate?
We don't really know how Aztec cichlid fishes communicate. However, it can be assumed that like other cichlid species, the jaguar cichlid may also use the colors of its body as a way to communicate with fishes near it.
Moreover, like other fishes, body movements and other motion-related behavior may also help it to assess the environment. However, one of the common behavior seen among these fish is the tendency to fight.
How big is a jaguar guapote?
The jaguar guapote (Florida resident) size range can go up to 9.8-13.8 in (25-35 cm). However, you do have to note that the Parachromis managuensis, jaguar guapote for sale will be much smaller. Compared to it, the Midas cichlid attains a size of around 10-14 in (25.4-35.6 cm).
How fast can a jaguar guapote swim?
We don't have any data regarding the swimming speed of this species.
How much does a jaguar guapote weigh?
The jaguar guapote (Parachromis managuensis) weight range can be up to 2.8 lb (1270 g). But, aquarium fishes tend to be lighter and smaller compared to those that live in the native lakes or ponds.
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no separate names for the male and female of this fish species.
What would you call a baby jaguar guapote?
A baby Parachromis managuensis, jaguar guapote cichlid is called a fry.
What do they eat?
This is a carnivorous fish that is seen feeding primarily on small fish species as well as on macroinvertebrates. Other food also includes aquatic insects, snails, worms, and at times lizards.
The jaguar guapote in aquarium feed on blood worms, earthworms, mysis, crickets, or commercial pellets that are made for cichlids. As an opportunistic feeder, it feeds by opening up its mouth and protruding the jaw to catch small fish, and aquatic insects.
Are they dangerous?
No, this isn't a dangerous fish, and it's a common food fish caught and eaten by people especially in its native range of Central America.
Would they make a good pet?
Yes, the jaguar guapote or managuense cichlid do make good pets and it's popular around the world as an aquarium fish. People often catch jaguar guapote with the help of worms.
Did you know...
In the binomial name, Parachromis managuensis, the word 'mangaguensis' stands for Lake Managua present in Nicaragua. This was where the jaguar guapote first appearance was noted and the holotype or specimens were caught.
This fish is known by the various names of managuense cichlid, guapote tigre, managua cichlid, Aztec cichlid, and spotted guapote.
Are jaguar guapote endangered?
No, the jaguar guapote or managuense cichlid isn't an Endangered fish and it's widely available in its native range of Central America as well as in places around the world.
How did jaguar guapote get their name?
The jaguar guapote gets its name from the several black spots or blotches spread out on its body which is mostly yellow. Because of the similar coloration to the jaguar, it has been given the name of jaguar guapote or cichlid. Also, the word 'guapote' stands for good-natured or good-looking in Spanish.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable facts, check out these rainbow cichlid interesting facts and channel catfish surprising facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable angelfish coloring pages..
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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