Red cichlid

Red cichlid
	Red cichlid ( Hemichromis bimaculatus )
Systematics
Order :	Cichliformes
Family :	Cichlids (Cichlidae)
Subfamily :	Pseudocrenilabrinae
Tribe :	Hemichromini
Genre :	Hemichromis
Type :	Red cichlid
Scientific name
	Hemichromis bimaculatus
	Gill , 1862

The red cichlid ( Hemichromis bimaculatus , also known as the red cichlidae ) is a cichlid from West Africa that was described by Theodore Nicholas Gill in 1862 .

Occurrence and habitat

Hemichromis bimaculatus occurs in the coastal area of West Africa. From the Senegal River to the east of Lake Turkana, it inhabits forest and savannah waters and penetrates into brackish water through estuaries . He does not inhabit flowing or free sea zones. The water temperature is 24–26 ° C. In addition, the water is relatively soft (10–12 ° dH ) and neutral to slightly basic ( pH 7.0–7.5). The red cichlid also likes to inhabit cloudy, sedimented water.

features

The length of the fish is approx. 15 cm.

Sexual Behavior and Brood

During the spawning season , the male is more brownish-red while the female is bright red. The female lays about 500 eggs and sticks them to a carefully cleaned solid surface. After a three to five day incubation , the fry hatch. Males and females take turns defending the territory and looking after the brood. Catfish are also chased away or attacked during the maintenance of the territory.

Keeping as ornamental and farmed fish

The red cichlid is kept as an ornamental fish in Central Europe . Like many other cichlids, the fish is aggressive towards its own and other species and can therefore not be kept in community tanks without restrictions . If there is enough space (approx. 200 liters for a couple) and the pool is adequately structured, socialization is possible.

literature

Ivan Petrovicky (ed.): The great encyclopedia of aquarium fish . Karl Müller Verlag, Cologne / Erlangen 1996, ISBN 3-86070-288-2 .

Web links

Commons : Roter Cichlid - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Red cichlid on Fishbase.org (English)

Hemichromis bimaculatus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Azeroual, A. & Lalèyè, P., 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2014.