Issue #1
Getting Started with Centrals
Vieja regani Mexico’s Emerald
Cichlid Profiles Plus Much More
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Hello and welcome to a brand new magazine “Central Scene”. First let me explain about this new venture. I decided to try and create a brand new format but focusing on cichlids from North & Central America only. Many who know me will tell you that these cichlids are my biggest passion, so what better than to dedicate a magazine to these fish. I have no idea how this venture will pan out, so let us see how we can develop the magazine. I say “we” because I hope I can once again get enthusiasts and hobbyist interested in contributing articles, so any help contributing articles or photography work will be much appreciated. I hope you enjoy the new magazine and articles, please promote to whoever you would like, the larger reader base the better, until next time? Saludos, Lee Nuttall
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Notes for Contributors If you would like to contribute an article or submit any photography work, then please send all work to the editor of The Central Scene at the following email address:
centralscenemagazine@talktalk.net Text can be submitted in email draft or sent in Microsoft word doc. All illustrations, drawings and photography work, should be sent separately in high resolution format (jpeg, tiff) and original size if possible. Photographic contributions without text are also welcome. When sending photographic work, Please do not send with a water mark, as authors and photographers are always credited. Articles and images published in the Central Scene remain the intellectual property of the original author, photographer, illustrator, and any work published may not be reprinted without the contributor’s written permission.
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Contents 4
Getting Started with Centrals A basic Introduction keeping Central American cichlids
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Salvini Cichlid Keeping and spawning exCichlasoma salvini
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Mexico’s Emerald Keeping and spawning Vieja regani
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Display Tanks Lake Petén AGA 2012 biotope entry
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Cichlid profiles We take a look at a beautiful dwarf cichlid from Panama
The views expressed in Central Scene are those of the individual(s) concerned and not necessarily those of the Editor. While every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, the Editor and its contributors disclaim all liability for any loss, injury or other problem arising from the use of information contained herein. The Central Scene © copyright of Lee Nuttall 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in any information retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without the express permission of the copyright holders.
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Getting Started With Centrals A Basic Introduction to Keeping Central American Cichlids
Cichlids represent an enormous group of fish, widespread on three continentsAmerica, Africa and Asia. They all show a great diversity in shape, size, colour and behaviour, from the colourful marine type cichlids found in the African rift lakes; the small size dwarf cichlids in south America to the large ‘Guapotes’ of Central America. Central America or sometimes referred to as ‘Middle America’ is a region in the midlatitudes of the Americas. It is comprised of Mexico, the nations of Central American, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and the West Indies Caribbean islands. The three members of the Nandopsis family are solely found on the island nations of Cuba, Haiti and Dominican Republic, so therefore is very important to include the Caribbean islands as part of the distribution range. The distribution of these cichlids starts from the northern land bridge in Mexico, through Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, ending in the southern land bridge of Panama. The most northern species of cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatum) can be found over the Mexican border into southern Texas, there are even exotic populations of many centrals in the Florida waterways, like Rocio octofasciata, exCichlasoma salvini and a range of many other species.
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Tank size, water & Filtration Central American cichlids are a very diverse group of fish, especially when it comes to describing shape, size and behaviour. They range in small sizes represented mainly by the Cryptoheros and Thorichthys group, to the very large represented by the Paratheraps / Vieja and the predatory ‘Guopotes’, Parachromis group; therefore recommending a suitable sized tank is not always a straight forward answer. Considerations need to be taken in to account such as the eventual size of the fish; will it be a mixed community or a tank dedicated to a single breeding pair’? Consider suitable space within the house and making sure that the floor the tank will sit on can fully support the final weight. Large tanks over 180cm when full with décor and water can be extremely heavy. All these factors need to be taken into consideration when planning and finally choosing a tank. To give you flexibility, you do not need swimming pool sized tanks to enjoy these wonderful fish. This probably would only apply when dealing with the very large groups of centrals, especially if you are planning to keep them in a community tank. Aquariums from 90 x 41 x 50 cm are recommended and can be used for smaller cichlid breeding projects like Cryptoheros and Thorichthys spp. Medium and larger cichlids will need spacious tanks starting from, 150 x 60x 60 as the very minimum. The ideal water chemistry for centrals is a pH of 7-8, with a general hardness from 10 -18. Any reading a little higher or below should be fine, as most centrals are very adaptable.
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Salvini Cichlid Observations & Care of a Colourful Jewel from Mexico
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Introduced to the German aquarium hobby as early as 1912 and later into the United States, where its popularity has seen the fish spread to other parts of the home aquarium world, one of the most colourful centrals available, makes you wonder why its popularity has waned somewhat. Does this fish hide a darker side? Yet to be permanently assigned to a genus the fish was once considered part of the Nandopsis complex (Konings 1989). This was suggested because of the feeding techniques the fish exhibit. Some have compared diagnostic straits with the Parachromis complex and DNA sampling has found a close relationship with Thorichthys. However, looking at shape and markings from a morphological level, salvini seem to comply more with Amphilophus, especially if we compare with A. trimaculatus. In time C. salvini might end up in their own erected complex, but until further studies are undertaken, for now, under Kullanders suggestion (Kullander 1996) the cichlid is designated under ‘exCichlasoma’ or ‘Heros’.
Rio Almoloya, Mexico.
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Fransisco Gutierrez Franco
‘Cichlasoma’ salvini, in the home aquarium Over the many years of keeping centrals, salvini has always at some point been included in all of my setups, but only kept as a single specimen. There has always been a good reason and that is usually down to aggression! ‘C’ salvini are renowned for their aggressive behaviour, hobbyist who don’t heed to the warnings, usually end up with a dominant pair patrolling the community tank with a group of stressed cichlids huddled up in one corner of the aquarium! To keep this cichlid successfully is to understand their behaviour, basic tank size requirements and tank mates. Tank size is dependent on how you choose to keep the fish. Aquariums dedicated to a single pair should be in the region of 150cm x 50cm x 50cm. Although only a medium sized cichlid, males can show a high degree of aggressiveness to the female, during and after spawning, so extra space will play an important part with aggression control. Aquarium décor can play a big part here to protect the female and keep her safe from any unwanted interactions. Arrange wood and rockwork so that the female has escape routes and even small caves so only the female is large enough to swim into. This aggressive behaviour will not always be the case, but centrals can sometimes show diverse behaviour patterns that make the fish keeper scratch their heads. When keeping salvini in a community aquarium, we need to take other factors into consideration. For a start, aquarium size will need to be a lot bigger. We should be thinking in the region of at least 200cm x 60cm x 60cm. This size will ensure that other members will have sufficient space for their territory requirements. Larger cichlid members like Paratherap/Vieja sp and Parachromis sp will be quite suitable. I have found that they tend to be less aggressive towards larger cichlids, 8
Did You Know? The most colourful population of salvini are found in both the Rio Candelaria and Rio Subin in the Usumacinta basin
favouring to bully cichlids similar in size and shape to themselves. These problems should be overcome in large enough aquaria. Keeping a small group of salvini should only be a temporary measure to ensure two fish quickly bond and pair up. Any more than one adult male present in the aquarium will certainly cause problems. We need to take care when adding smaller fish like livebearers and smaller tetras, as these will almost certainly become a food source. Younger salvini specimens are quite safe to add to an already established tank with larger sized livebearers. The feeding requirements of ‘C’ salvini are pretty straight forward. Commercial foods offered are pretty much accepted as well as many prepared foods. I recommend staying clear from warm blooded high fat content food for obvious reasons, however, foods like prawn and mussels are quite safe. Water quality requirements for ‘C’ salvini are fairly simple. Although found in a range of different water chemistry, I would recommend A good filtration system with good water management, changing a least 20% of the water twice weekly. For a natural looking aquarium we can try to replicate this by decorating with aquarium bought bogwood or long pieces of beech / oak tree wood collected locally. Care must be taken if collecting materials yourself. Arrange large rock work so as to break lines of sight and to create territory boundaries.
Sexing and spawning Sexual dimorphism is ‘C’ salvini is quite easy to distinguish; but younger specimens maybe a little more problematic. Males are larger than females and will display less red colouration, especially around the ventral region. Not always apparent in younger fish, but females will develop a dark dorsal blotch. This will intensify with age and with prolific spawning activity. I’ve noted with the population I kept (Lago de Illusions) that males will develop a red operculum spot, this I’ve noted to be completely lacking on the female fish. However this operculum spot can be present in females from different populations. Not a particular strong trait to note, but males will develop more flowing unpaired fins. Spawning activity can be expected from young fish at a small size. The bonding process can be rough, with a lot of chasing and occasional jaw locking. Once a territory is established, the pair will clean and prepare a suitable 9
spawning area where the eggs will be deposited. It’s not unusual to expect spawns of over 500 eggs, especially in l arger adult pairs. Spawns can be deposited on open surfaces or in prepared caves like flower pots. Once deposited which can take over an hour, the male will defend the spawning site while the female fans the eggs. The eggs will usually hatch in two to three days dependant on water temperature. I observed the female remove the wrigglers to at least two nursery pits before choosing the final safe spot. This was a cavity moulded in to the aquarium background. After around 4-5 days the female emerged from the nest with the free swimming fry. This is where space is everything in the confines of the aquarium, as the pair will defend the offspring ferociously! The colours will intensify to a bright yellow and the dark lateral bar and facial markings lose the blue spangling and become almost black.
Vieja regani Mexico’s Emerald The Coatzacoalcos basin is home to many wonderful cichlid species; Lee Nuttall introduces the Almoloya Cichlid‌
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This beautiful green emerald from southern Mexico saw its origins from the Rio Almoloya in the state of Oaxaca. The holotype was an adult female specimen taken from the Rio Almoloya on the 25th Feb 1959 by R. R Miller and R.J. Schultz, where the fish was described as a slim large scale Theraps type fish. The Paratype specimens were collected from Rio Almoloya (1957), Rio Malotengo, (1935) and Jesus Carranza (Rio) Jaltepec drainage, 1948). Officially described by Robert Miller in 1974 he named the fish in honour to Charles Tate Regan for he’s recognition in studies of American Cichlids.
Vieja regani pair from Rio Jaltepec
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observing her submissive offering to the larger developing male. This female fish appeared much slimmer in profile and exhibited a much rounded dorsal edge. The surplus fish looked very much the same as the dominant female, but i couldn’t say for certain if these were submissive males or females. When they have developed to a good adult size sexing becomes much more apparent. Males are much thicker and develop a steeper cranial profile. This steeper cranial profile will become a nuchal hump in older dominant fish.
Males develop an overall thicker profile than females
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The males red patterning on the unpaired fins appears much brighter, more so on the back end of the dorsal fin. The red speckling on the fishes body appears more extensive on the male. Male fish will grow larger than the females; you can expect females to grow no more than 10inch-25cm. Spawning V. regani is rarely reported, mainly because they are quite difficult to spawn. The key to successful spawnings is to produce a strongly bonded pair; this is best done by growing on a group of youngsters of a least six
fish. Typical pair bonding can be expected within the group, but spawnings will only happen with larger adult fish. Pair bonding can be rough, the males have noted to be quite rough on the female fish, so this is where a large tank will come in handy. The female will need sanctuary from the male until she is ready. V. regani are substrate spawners and will clean and prepare a suitable rock, either flat or angled. Deposited fertilised eggs usually hatch in 3 days and become free swimming after day 8. If a portion of the fry is to be removed, they can be brought up on brine shrimp or finely crushed flakes. Conclusion A shame that this fish isn’t widely kept and spawned in aquarium circles, Vieja regani would make a beautiful addition to any large Central American system. This fish needs a bit of extra American system. This fish needs a bit of extra care and patience for it to properly develop, but once given, you will be rewarded with a gorgeous emerald presence.
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Whats in a name? A recent study that included all species assigned to both Paratheraps/ Vieja complex was published in September 2010 called: Molecular systematics of the enigmatic Middle American genus Vieja (Teleostei: Cichlidae) The study concluded that species assigned to Paratheraps/Vieja should be re-assigned to the Paraneetroplus complex? Although the paper is still open to debate, as not to complicate matters I have chosen to use the current nomenclature when describing these cichlids. Over time there may very well be name changes?
Lake Petén Itzá Display Tank Lake Petén shallows was my inspiration for the 2012 AGA Aquascaping Contest Lake Petén in Guatemala is the second largest lake and has a surface area of 99 km and a depth of 160 m. The lake is home to a diverse range of wildlife and fauna both in and around the lake. Lake Petén is home to several species of cichlid species, many which are available to the home aquarium trade. These include: Astatheros robertsoni, “Cichlasoma” salvini, “Cichlasoma” urophthalmus, Parachromis friedrichsthalii, Petenia splendida, Thorichthys affinis, meeki, pasionis and Vieja melanura (Orange Morph). The lake shallows are reported to be quite diverse in their appearance, from rocky sandy beds to shallow river banks with meadows of Elodea sp. and Ceratophyllum. sp (Hornwort) lined with fallen branches and driftwood. With all this information given, I was able to start replicating my chosen biotope theme.
Choosing the fish was easy as I already had a group of Lake Petén Vieja melanura. I didn’t want to add other fish as an overly busy tank can ruin the look of the aquas-cape on a photo. The idea was to try and replicate a shallow river bank area where there maybe aquatic fauna. Hornwort is added and allowed to spread across the water surface to help create a shady shallow area for the fish to use. The right hand side of the display hopefully represents the open area where the water level starts to deepen and then imagine the open lake thereafter. Branches are let to rest on the substrate to create a littered feel.
The tank is home to a small group of Vieja melanura
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Hornwort provides shady areas
Two females face-off
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Cryptoheros nanoluteus (Allgayer, 1994)
Etymology: means hidden heroFromGreek, Krypto = hide, cover, conceal;Greek, heros= hero small Greek : nano =small, luteus = golden/ yellow Common name: Yellow convict, Nano’s Size: Males are larger than females a grow to 10 cm/ 4inch Distribution: Endemic to Panama in the Boca del Toro region, Chiriqui Grande District. This species is found only in the Guarúmo river basin, the Rio Guabo and its small tributaries, the Rio Peje Bobo in north-western Panama. Cryptoheros nanoluteus has a CVU status on the C.A.R.E.S programme list, which Indicates that the fish is vulnerable in the wild. http://www.carespreservation.com/
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A beautiful male C. nanoluteus with free swimming fry
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Paratheraps sp. coatzacoalcos Taxonomy and Aquarium care
Herichthys deppii Introducing the Nautla cichlid
Display Tanks
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Cichlid Profiles Veja argentea
Plus much more
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