Crenicichla punctata Regan, (1905)

Group: Lacustris / Missioneira?

Distribution: Uruguay and Southeastern Brazil, coastal.

Type Locality: Rio Guaiba, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Size: 10 - 12 inches

Comments: This infrequently imported species may possibly be the only member of the Missioneira group in captivity. It is also possible that this is a Lacustris group species but its overall shape and demeanor is somewhat reminiscent Missioneira group members. It is named punctata due to its numerous black spots on the body. I recently (April 2000) acquired two specimens of this species, imported from Uruguay along with some C. lepidota, C. scotti and some members of 'Cichlasoma' facetum group.

The importer had them in his care for a few months before shipping to the US, so the fish were very eager to consume pelleted foods, within a few hours of introduction into their new home. They are not particularly attractive but they are very bold and do not hide much. There was quite a bit of aggression after introducing them into their tank, particularly with an adult Aequidens tetramerus. After a few days, the aggression seems to have gone away, now that hierarchy and territories have been redrawn. Both specimens are males and oddly, the large one does not harass the smaller one as much as it harasses the C. sp. Belly Crawler that also share the tank.

I got in touch with the collector of the specimen in Uruguay, Marcelo Casacuberta. He says that this species is found in most rivers in the country, where the waters are neutral to slightly acidic, with temperatures varying from 10°C to 30°C (50-86°F). He also says that "they tend to remain still, they don't swim around a lot, and hide among rocks and submerged branches."

Described in: Archiv für Naturgeschichte 36 (1); p 57

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http://geocities.datacellar.net/NapaValley/5491 Latest update: 22 April 2000 Comments on this page: E-Mail author