Flag cichlid (Mesonauta festivus)

Scientific name: Mesonauta festivus Heckel, 1840

The Flag cichlid (Mesonauta festivus) is a freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 25–34°C (77–93°F).

Flag cichlid care at a glance

Temperature: 25–34°C (77–93°F)

Biology

Reported to reach around 10 cm SL. Tapajos (NRM) specimens were taken from a sandy shore at Aveiro and a small creek at Santarem, close to vegetation and with mud and sand bottom; Vila Bela da Santfssima Trinidade (NRM) specimens were seined in the shadow of the ferry, in shallow water with much aquatic vegetation; while from Madre de Dios, one sample was seined from a pool in a stream with clear, slightly tinted water and no vegetation; another, mixed sample came from a small stream and nearby cattle pool.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Mesonauta festivus
Family: Cichlidae (Cichlids)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 8.2
Environment: Freshwater;; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 4 - 6 benthopelagic; non-migratory
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: South America: Paran? River basin, in the Paraguay River drainage in Brazil and Paraguay; Amazon River basin, in the Guapor? (Brazil and Bolivia), Madre de Dios (Peru), Mamor? (Bolivia), Jamari and Tapaj?s (Brazil) River drainages.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Aquarium: highly commercial
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tm