Herotilapia multispinosa – Rainbow Cichlid

Herotilapia multispinosa – Rainbow Cichlid

The Herotilapia multispinosa was first described by Günther in 1867. In the meantime, this species has been shifted from one genus name to another several times. Hence these synonyms: Heros multispinosus, Archocentrus multispinosus, Astronotus multispinosus, Cichlasoma multispinosum.

The genus name Herotilapia can be divided into two parts. Hero comes from the Greek heros which means hero or warrior. Tilapia comes from an African word thiape which means fish. Together that makes Hero-Fish, a reference to the heroic behavior of this species.

The species name multispinosus means with many spines and is a reference to the large number of fin rays in the anal fin.

Description

Contrary to what its common name suggests, this Central American cichlid does not get all the colors of the rainbow. It has a yellow body with a black stripe across its flank and a blue border across its dorsal, abdominal and anal fins. During breeding, the top of the fish becomes slightly darker to completely black on its belly in some specimens. The difference between males and females can be seen in the dorsal and anal fins. The male’s are slightly extended into a point, the female’s are a bit rounded.

The Herotilapia multispinosa is reasonably compatible with other species, but also with conspecifics. Due to their small size, they do not need a very large aquarium, 1 meter x 40 x 40 centimeters is sufficient. They can only defend fiercely during the mating season, but that is normal for a cichlid.

Biotope

Herotilapia multispinosa mainly lives in the riparian zone of small rivers with little to no current. The interior of the aquarium can consist of sand, pebbles in between, some flattened stones and some driftwood. They do not like bright light, so provide some dim lighting. A few plants should not be missing as they can provide some cover to do with the offspring of Herotilapia multispinosa.

The Aquarium

In the wild, Herotilapia multispinosa has a wide variation in temperatures. They can withstand temperatures between 21 and 36 degrees Celsius. It should be noted that extreme temperatures should not be maintained for long periods, as this will seriously shorten the lifespan of the fish.

Breeding Herotilapia multispinosa – Rainbow Cichlid

After courtship, a pair of Herotilapia multispinosa will look for a place to deposit their eggs. This is usually a flat stone that is first completely cleaned. Laying the 1000 to 3000 eggs can take up to 2 hours. The female guards and fans the eggs closely while the male keeps the other fish at a safe distance. Any moldy eggs are carefully removed until the eggs hatch after 2 or 3 days. The young are then moved and the larvae are suspended from the plants or driftwood with sutures (see photo below). Only when the yolk sac has been used up will they start swimming freely. They can then be fed with Artemia and Cyclops.

Conclusion

This species is very suitable for novice breeders due to its tolerant nature. This species cannot be kept together with the Archocentrus, they are so closely related that hybridization can easily occur.

Video

Author

John de Lange

Copyright images

Matthijs Meindertsma
Gregory de Muyer