Fun Uaru Facts For Kids

Uaru (Uaru amphiacanthoides), also known as triangle cichlid, chocolate cichlid, waroo, and Uaru cichlid, is of the family Cichlidae. There are nine recognized subfamilies in the Cichlidae family. These species are native to South America. They belong to the small genus Uaru that is mainly found in whitewater and blackwater habitats. Uaru is an Amazon term that translates to a toad. Uaru amphiacanthoides and Uaru fernandezyepezi are two species in this genus. Both these species are rare imports. The Uaru cichlid was first described in 1840 by Heckel and Uaru fernandezyepezi in 1989 by Stankowski.

Uaru fernandezyepezi are mainly found in the Orinoco river basin. These species are of the Heroini fish tribe of the subfamily cichlasomatinae. They are placed in the Cichlidae subfamily in other classifications. Cichlids have the highest endangered species among the vertebrate families. Uarus are usually found in silver-gray color with a dark tear drop-shaped spot near the tail and in the middle of their body. If these Uaru fish facts were interesting, then check out these Texas cichlid facts and Midas cichlid facts.
 

What type of animal is an Uaru?

Uaru (Uaru amphiacanthoides) is a tropical fish of the order Cichliformes and phylum Chordata. The Uaru has a unique color and body shape in the cichlid family. This peaceful fish adapts well to the aquarium but will need extra care and attention. The Uaru cichlid is a hard-to-find tropical fish. This is an intelligent fish species that recognizes their owner. The Uaru cichlid is a peaceful fish and thrives in the aquarium if kept in pairs or a group.

What class of animal does an Uaru belong to?

Uaru (Uaru amphiacanthoides) belongs to the class Actinopterygii class.

How many Uarus are there in the world?

The exact number of Uaru (Uaru amphiacanthoides) in the world is not known.

Where does an Uaru live?

Uaru (Uaru amphiacanthoides) is native species of South America. The Uaru cichlid (Uaru) is spread across a range throughout Amazon rivers, mostly found in Tapajos, upper Rio Orinoco, lower and middle Rio Negro, and Japura rivers.

What is an Uaru's habitat?

The Uaru cichlid (Uaru) is a tropical fish species spread across a range in the whitewater and blackwaters in the upper Orinoco. The Uaru cichlid (Uaru) species is also found in clear water streams around caves or hiding places, and floating plants in an aquarium to dim the lighting. They can adapt to various water conditions.

Who do Uarus live with?

The Uaru cichlid (Uaru) lives in pairs or groups.

How long does an Uaru live?

The lifespan of Uaru cichlid (Uaru) is around 10 years.

How do they reproduce?

It is difficult to breed Urau cichlid species in captivity. The adult Uaru male at full-grown size pointy genital papillae more so than the females, and the male also grows a little more in size. An easy method to breed Urau is to raise 6-8 juvenile Uaru in the same aquarium, which will allow them to pair. During the breeding season, this fish changes their appearance to a black body and coppery red eyes. The female produces 100-400 eggs and lays them on a piece of slate, flat stone, or flowerpot. The pair guards the juveniles. A spawning pit is that is dug in the gravel so that the fry can be moved into it after they hatch. The fry swims out of the pit after 3-4 days. The parents feed the fry the slime they excrete from the sides of their bodies. You can feed the young fry some brine shrimp and flake food after two weeks. The fry grows fast with a proper diet and suitable water conditions. While breeding initially, the parents might feed on the eggs or the fry. So, it is better to leave the light on at night to avoid this. If this does not work, it is better to remove the fertilized eggs after breeding.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the Uaru cichlid is not yet evaluated.

What do Uarus look like?

The Uaru amphiacanthoides (Uaru cichlids) species have an oval disc-shaped body. The adult Uaru is not distinctly colored outside the spawning season. They are silver-gray color with a large dark olive or brown tear drop-shaped spot placed in the middle of the body and a splotch on the base of the tail. The sides of these species become dark in the spawning season with a brown edge. The eyes change to coppery-red color. Young ones are identical to leaf fish with a yellow body and white dots. Before developing golden or yellow color and white speckles, the fry is dark-colored. When they fry is around 2 in (5 cm) when the speckled appearance disappears.

*We've been unable to source an image of an Uaru and have used an image of its habitat. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of an Uaru, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].

How cute are they?

Uaru amphiacanthoides (Uaru cichlids) species are not considered cute.

How do they communicate?

Uaru amphiacanthoides (Uaru cichlids) communicate like any other fish through sound, color, and chemicals.

How big is an Uaru?

The Uaru cichlids are 9.8 in (25 cm) in length.

How fast can an Uaru swim?

The swimming speed of the triangle cichlid waroo is not known.  

How much does an Uaru weigh?

The Uaru fish can reach up to a weight of 3 lb (1.3 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

There is no specific name given to the male and female Urau fish.

What would you call a baby Uaru?

There is no specific name given to a baby Uaru fish. They are usually referred to as juveniles.

What do they eat?

You can feed your Urau pet 2-3 times per day. The diet of this fish is omnivorous. Their diet includes whatever they find, from worms, insects, crustaceans to fruits, decaying organic matter, and plant matter. They will eat all kinds of foods in the aquarium, from prepared live foods like algae wafers, flakes, brine shrimp, or pellets to spinach, blanched lettuce, zucchini, or other greens. They also eat mosquito larvae and black worms. They also feed on aquarium plant roots.

Are they aggressive?

No, Uaru fish are not too aggressive.

Would they make a good pet?

This tropical freshwater fish does make a good aquarium fish. The Uaru tank size must be big enough for them to move around and must be kept in groups.  

Did you know...

It isn't easy to breed and maintain the Uaru species like the discus fish. They were on dubbed as 'poor man's discus.

Uaru is mainly from South America and you can try buying them from your local pet shops.

They are popular food fish in their native Brazil regions.

It is necessary to check for any spinal defects before getting the Uaru for your aquarium.

How to pronounce Uaru?

Uaru is pronounced as U-a-roo.

Having your own Uaru

The peaceful Uaru fish species need soft water in a 100 gal (378 l) tank size. This species is not too aggressive towards their tank mates, but they can defend themselves and their young ones from other fish species. It is better to keep these species in pairs or groups to develop their schooling abilities. A pair can be kept in the 55 gal (208 l) aquarium and more spaced 100 gal (378 l) aquarium for a group of Uaru fish species with better water quality. They can also be housed with other fish species like convict cichlids, Jack Dempsey, altum angelfish, tetras, Oscars, and more. This fish species can recognize and respond to their owners. They are bottom to middle-level dwellers. They need a water pH level of 5.5. The optimum temperature is around 75°F (24°C). They need proper filtration in the aquarium and frequent water changes. They need plants, rocks, and driftwood in the aquarium as they are known to chew on it and also caves and hiding places. Medium to subdued lighting or adding floating plants would dim the lights would be optimum aquarium environment.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these rainbow cichlid facts and peacock cichlid facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable uaru coloring pages.