Blue acara (Aequidens pulcher)

Scientific name: Aequidens pulcher Gill, 1858

The Blue acara (Aequidens pulcher) is a freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae that grows to about 16 cm (6.3 in). It is easy to keep and semi-aggressive and needs a tank of at least 110 L (29 US gal), water at 20–25°C (68–77°F) and a pH of 6.0–7.7. Native range: South America, Northern Venezuela; also Trinidad.

Blue acara care at a glance

Care level
Easy
Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Adult size
16 cm (6.3 in)
Minimum tank
110 L (29 US gal)
Temperature
20–25°C (68–77°F)
pH
6.0–7.7
Hardness
3–20 dGH (54–357 ppm)
Diet
Omnivore. Accepts flakes, frozen foods and live foods.

Biology

Anal spines: 3. Aequidens is very similar to Geophagus but is differentiated by the number of spines on the anal fin and the lacks of a lobule on the first branchial arch found in Geophagus; live specimens olive green, with eight obscure transverse bands on the body; numerous bright bluish-green lines on the cheek; males are more colorful and grow bigger than females; males blue in color during the reproductive season.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Aequidens pulcher
Family
Cichlidae (Cichlids)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
16.0
Environment
Freshwater;; pH range: 6.5 - 8.0; dH range: ? - 25 benthopelagic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Central and South America: Trinidad and Venezuela.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: highly commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tm

More south & central american cichlids

See all south & central american cichlids

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.

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