Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid

About

The cockatoo dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides) is one of the most recognizable members of a sprawling genus, named for the elongated spiny rays at the front of the dorsal fin that fan out like a cockatoo's crest. Males are considerably larger and more colorful than females, and decades of selective breeding have produced a wide array of captive color forms, sunset, double red, triple red, orange flash, and albino among them, meaning the fish available in the hobby today often look quite different from wild-caught specimens. In nature, this species occupies slow-moving and still tributary waters throughout the Ucayali, Amazon, and Solimoes river systems in western South America, spending most of its time close to the bottom among leaf litter and woody debris. It is primarily a carnivore and a cave spawner, with females taking full charge of egg and fry care inside crevices or sheltered spots in the decor. Sometimes becoming fiercely defensive in the process, to the point where removing the male from smaller tanks is wise. Captive-bred fish adapt well to a broader range of tankmates and conditions than wild-caught individuals, making them the more practical choice for community setups. Males are territorial with one another, so housing multiple males requires careful planning and plenty of broken sightlines.