Chisel-toothed Cichlid

About

Found in Lake Izabal and various Atlantic drainages of eastern Guatemala and neighboring Belize, Theraps bocourti is a cichlid with a surprisingly low profile in the hobby given how interesting it is to keep. Sometimes called the chisel-toothed cichlid, it wasn't collected for the aquarium trade until 1994, nearly a century after it was first described scientifically. In the wild it shares its habitat with a diverse community of cichlids, characins, catfish, and livebearers, though in the aquarium it is anything but community-minded. This is a big, territorial, and genuinely aggressive fish that needs serious space and carefully chosen tankmates. If any at all. Robust, fast-moving characins or cyprinids of comparable size can sometimes work in very large setups, but the margin for error is slim. Where this species really shines is in breeding. Pairs develop an intense yellow coloration with bold vertical barring when in spawning condition, and their parental behavior is a genuine highlight. Both fish guard eggs and wriggling fry with real dedication, even to the point of nipping at the fingers of anyone who reaches into the tank at the wrong moment. Getting a compatible pair takes patience, ideally by raising a group of juveniles together. Labeled beginner in terms of basic water and feeding requirements, it is still a fish that demands respect.