hobbyists Advanced and aquarists enjoy a level of comfort in being able to predict he behavior of their prized
specimens. In this sense, keepers and breeders
of large cichlids are interested in whether or
not a particular species can coexist in an
aquarium with another given species. In
my case, I was interested in whether or not
I could combine an adult male and adult
female of one of my favorite Central American
cichlids. The following is my experience
combining two opposite-sex specimens of the
notoriously boisterous Parachromis dovii.
Specifics and
Characteristics
Often referred to as the wolf cichlid,
Parachromis dovii has earned its reputation
in the cichlid world as one of the largest,
nastiest, and yet most intelligent fish. P.
dovii is a big, heavy-bodied open-water
predator that inhabits Central American
lakes, rivers, and streams. In the wild, it is a
piscivorous carnivore, feeding upon smaller
fishes that inhabit their waters, including
other cichlids.
Males are known to grow to around 28
inches in their native bodies of water, with
females reaching around 14 inches. Sexual
dimorphism is evident in multiple aspects:
males grow much larger than females and
generally have brighter coloration, pointier
dorsal and anal fins, and a characteristic
nuchal hump of the forehead. Females
generally exhibit a more pronounced dark
horizontal band across the middle of the
body, while males have more of a spotted
or blotchy body pattern. Both male and
female specimens are also well known
for exhibiting pronounced teeth, which
often protrude from their lips in a rather
unfriendly and toothy smile. As their
common name suggests, wolf cichlids
are at the top of the food chain in their
native underwater worlds, and such a
large, aggressive, and dedicated predator
can prove challenging to maintain in the
constraints of an aquarium. There are
endless accounts of P. dovii on reputable
Internet forums documenting the hyper-aggression that can be exhibited by what
many believe to be one of the most
aggressive cichlids in the world.
Breeding
Most experienced cichlid keepers
would agree that the best way to get a
mated pair of any large and aggressive
cichlid species is to purchase roughly
six to ten juvenile specimens and raise
them together in the hopes that a pair
will form for spawning. This way, a
pair is more naturally formed because
a dominant male usually selects a
dominant female to spawn with, as
opposed to the adding of a single male
and a single female of an aggressive
species, which may result in intense
fighting or incompatibility.
But allowing them to pair up naturally
does not always work; the pair may still
prove to be incompatible when the other
tankmates are removed for spawning, as
their aggression can turn on one another.
Many issues can arise with incompatible
pairs of large cichlids, including severe
fin and body damage, as well as high
stress levels that increase the possibility
of the fish getting a secondary infection.
The worst-case scenario often results in
the death of one of the counterparts. P.
dovii is no exception, with many hobbyists
expressing their frustrations in books and
Internet forums that detail their attempts to
breed this behemoth within the constraints
of an aquarium.
