Parrot dwarf cichlid

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Parrot dwarf cichlid
Apistogramma ortegai, male

Apistogramma ortegai , male

Systematics
Order : Cichliformes
Family : Cichlids (Cichlidae)
Subfamily : Cichlinae
Tribe : Geophagini
Genre : Apistogramma
Type : Parrot dwarf cichlid
Scientific name
Apistogramma ortegai
Britzke, Oliveira & Kullander , 2014

The parrot dwarf cichlid ( Apistogramma ortegai ) is a small species of cichlid that occurs in the catchment area of ​​the Río Ampyiacu in the Peruvian Amazon .

features

female

Apistogramma ortegai is moderately high back, the body height is a third of the standard length. Like all dwarf cichlids, the species has a distinct sexual dimorphism . Males are bluish with red dots above the weakly pronounced side stripes and seven vertical bands, which are usually more pronounced at the back than at the front. The seventh and last stripe forms a tail spot. The dorsal fin shows striking red and sky-blue vertical stripes that increase in intensity towards the rear. The edge of the dorsal fin is dark gray. The anal fin is striped yellowish and light blue. Their leading edge is black. The pectoral fins are transparent, the pelvic fins light blue, the first fin ray and the associated fin membrane are light gray. The caudal fin is orange and yellow. The cheeks are sky blue with reddish dots. The lips are gray or light blue. Females are yellowish with two to six black spots on the side line. The dorsal fin is yellow with a dark rim and a dark base; the first and second fin rays and the associated membranes are black. The pelvic fins and anal fin are yellow with black front edges. The caudal fin is yellow, the dark caudal spot is almost rectangular. Brood-caring females mark a dark line on the middle line of the abdomen, which extends from the pelvic fins to the anus.

habitat

Apistogramma ortegai lives near the banks in small clear water streams in the catchment area of ​​the Rio Ampyiacu. The bottom of the streams is sandy or loamy and covered with fallen leaves. The maximum depth is 50 cm. At the type locality the water had a temperature of 26 ° C and a pH value of 6.0. The cichlid two- striped dwarf cichlid ( A. bitaeniata ), Bujurquina peregrinaba , Cichlasoma amazonarum and an undefined Crenicichla species, the tetras Astyanax bimaculatus , Leporinus sp. aff. Friderici, Moenkhausia margitae , Moenkhausia oligolepsis and Pyrrhulina semifasciata not more detail certain species from the Salmlergattungen Acestrocephalus , Characidium and Knodus , the catfish Corydoras fowleri , two non-specific catfish species from the genera Ituglanis and Rhamdia , the knife fish Sternopygus macrurus and an undetermined species of the genus Gymnotus before.

Systematics

The species was scientifically described in 2014 by the Swedish ichthyologist Sven O. Kullander and two colleagues after it had been in the aquarium hobby since 2002 as Apistogramma sp. "Parrot" was known. The Artepithetum ortegai honors Hernán Ortega Torres, a Peruvian ichthyologist who has long been researching the fish fauna of Peru. The parrot dwarf cichlid belongs to the species group around the zebra dwarf cichlid ( Apistogramma regani ) and is particularly similar in this group of species to Apistogramma commbrae , A. inconspicua and A. linkei . The parrot dwarf cichlid can be distinguished from these three species by the lack of vertical stripes on the tail.

literature

Web links