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Jaguar CichlidManaguense ~ Managua Cichlid ~ Aztec CichlidFamily: Cichlidae Parachromis managuensisPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Craig ChisholmLatest Reader Comment - See More I have two jags. A female and male and they recently layed eggs. I also have a convict cichlid and a tiger oscar. In any way that they could harm the eggs or the... (more) Shilee Bean Unlike many of the cichlids, when the Jaguar Cichlid or Managuense reaches its adult size it is actually more beautiful than when it is a juvenile!Jaguar Cichlid Contents Full grown mature males lose all bars seen on younger specimens and have a 'jaguar' patterning evenly distributed over their body and fins, thus earning them their common name. Not only is the Jaguar Cichlid very handsome as an adult, it is also a very impressive size. In the wild these fish will reach up to two feet and weigh about 3 1/2 pounds. Fortunately they are smaller in the aquarium, only reaching about 16". They are a great fish for a huge system of large South and Central American fish. Use dark gravel to bring out their light purple base color. The Jaguar Cichlid or Managuense is moderately easy as long as they have a large tank and appropriate tank mates. They are predators and will eat smaller fish and invertebrates. Many do not tolerate any other fish in their tank unless they are a male/female pair. Even then the male may attack and kill a newly introduced female. If kept alone you may be able to keep with them other fish. They become more aggressive when they are in breeding mode and all other fish should be removed at that time. This is a big cichlid that requires a lot of free swimming space. They will dig in the substrate, so provide a bottom of coarse gravel with some rocks and wood for places to hide. They will also need a large rock for spawning. Don't include plants as they will be torn apart. Be sure you also have a tight fitting lid as they will jump out at times. For more Information on keeping this fish see: |
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Distribution: The Jaguar Cichlid or Managuense was described by Günther in 1867. They are found in Central America on the Atlantic slope from the Ulua River in Honduras to the Matina River in Costa Rica. They like turbid waters with muddy bottoms and are found in warm, low oxygenated water in springs, ponds and lakes. They are highly predatorial and feed on small fish and larger invertebrates.
They were previously described scientifically as both Nandopsis managuense and Cichlasoma managuense. Other common names or different spellings these fish are known by are the Guapote Tigre, Aztec Cichlid, Jaguar Guapote, Spotted Guapote, and Tiger Guapote. These fish are used for food in their native lands, and are also considered pests in some localities.
Status: This species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.
Description: A large Jaguar Cichlid is really quite attractive. Mature, full grown males lose all bars seen on younger specimens, and have a 'jaguar' patterning evenly distributed over their body and fins, thus earning them their common name. Very clean water will bring out their colors and patterning the best. They can live to 15 years or more.
The background color of this cichlid is slivery to light blue-green to light purple. There is some light tan-yellow to burgundy-red on the head. The body is then spattered with dark spots. Young males and females have several dark vertical bars that extend from the top of the back to the middle of the body, where they abruptly end. They can have 2 dark bars just behind their eye; one that is horizontal and broken extending to the first vertical bar on the body, and the other that is below running diagonally down to the gill cover. When young both the male and female have bars The female patterning is several big black dots that almost form a solid horizontal line across the body. There may or may not be the the vertical bars.
All cichlids share a common feature that some saltwater fish such as wrasses and parrotfish have and that is a well-developed pharyngeal set of teeth that are in the throat, along with their regular teeth. Cichlids have spiny rays in the back parts of the anal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins to help discourage predators. The front part of these fins are soft and perfect for precise positions and effortless movements in the water as opposed to fast swimming.
Cichlids have one nostril on each side while other fish have 2 sets. To sense "smells" in the water, they suck water in and expel the water right back out after being "sampled" for a short or longer time, depending on how much the cichlid needs to "smell" the water. This feature is shared by saltwater damselfish and cichlids are thought to be closely related.
Size - Weight: The Jaguar Cichlid grows to a length of just over 21" to 24" (55-63 cm) and 3 1/2 pounds in the wild. In the aquarium, males get to about 16" (40 cm) and females to about 14" (36 cm).
Care and feeding: The Jaguar Cichlid is a carnivore, a predator that feeds on other smaller fish and large invertebrates in the wild. In the aquarium they will eagerly accept large live foods such as goldfish and other small fishes, crickets and other insects, earthworms, and tadpoles. Though live fishes are their main food they can be fed large chunk foods such as cut up fish and crayfish, and they may also accept large pieces of freeze dried and dry foods. Feed once a day, and some say that a one day a week fast is beneficial. This will keep the water quality higher over a longer time. All fish benefit from vitamins and supplements added to their foods.
These fish need a lot of room, a minimum of 50 gallons for a single fish, though ideally 125 gallons for one and 180 gallons or more with tank mates. They need good water movement along with strong and efficient filtration. Provide a bottom of coarse gravel with some rocks and wood for places to hide along with lots of open swimming room and a large rock for spawning. Don't include plants as they will be torn apart. Be sure you have a tight fitting lid, as they will jump out at times. Some say duckweed floating at the top will help. Do water changes of 20% to 30% biweekly or weekly, depending on stocking numbers.
They are subject to infections as well as other diseases that ail all freshwater fish. One common problem is Ich. It can be treated with the elevation of the tank temperature to 86° F (30° C) for 3 days. If that does not cure the Ich, then the fish needs to be treated with copper (remove any water conditioners). Several copper based fish medications are available for Ich. Copper use must be kept within the proper levels, so be sure to follow the manufacturers suggestions. A copper test can be used to keep the proper levels. You can also combine increasing the temperature with an Ich medication treatment. Intestinal disease can be treated with metronidazol.
Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom: These fish will swim in the middle and lower areas of the aquarium.
Acceptable Water Conditions: Hardness: 10 -15° dH
Ph: 7.0 - 8.7
Temp: 75 - 82° F (24 -28° C), (82° F to breed)
Social Behaviors: The Jaguar Cichlid is not a community fish. This fish is a predator that is territorial and aggressive, and even more aggressive when spawning. It needs to be kept with other large Central and South American cichlids, that are larger than they are. If breeding them do not house with plecostomus as these fish will eat the fry at night. Once they are ready to spawn, no other fish should be left in the tank.
They can be kept singly or in pairs. They are aggressive toward those of the same species and if they are not raised as a pair putting in a female that is unfamiliar is a risk, especially if the male is larger.As with all larger cichlids, room is of the utmost importance to keep aggression low.
Sexual Differences: The male is larger and seems to have more vertical broken bars when young. Once he is full grown, he will not have any bars at all. The female will have thinner vertical bars and a more pronounced dark broken horizontal bar.
Breeding/Reproduction: The Jaguar Cichlids form nuclear families and are excellent parents. Ideally for the safety of the female, the tank should be 180 gallons. It is best to raise a group of juveniles and let them pair off. They are sexually mature by 4". The male will display for the female and actually take very good care of her. They will excavate an area behind a large stone. Having the area covered and "protected" is desirable to them. After they dig out an area of mutual agreement and as the spawning day gets closer, the male will become less and less tolerant of any tank mates, and even your hand.
If the pair are well fed, doing 50% water changes twice in one week will promote a spawning response. Raising the temperature to 82° F is also needed. The eggs will hatch in about 72 hours at 82° F and the higher temperature will give fungus less time to form. The female will continue to fan the eggs and remove debris and snails from the site. As the eggs get close to the time of hatching, the female will take them to the pit that they made before spawning. Once the babies are born you may want to do 20% water changes every other day. This is due to the additional load on the tank from the feedings that they need once their egg yolk is used up. In 4 days after hatching, you can feed them Liquifry and baby powder food. It would be a good idea to remove any other fish that may eat the fry during the night like catfish or plecostomus. See more about cichlid breeding in: Breeding Freshwater Fish.
Availability: The Jaguar Cichlid or Managuense are available in fish stores and online. They will run about $5.50 - $7.00 USD for juveniles.
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