Taxonomy

Allgayer, 1983

( Cichlidae, Geophaginae)

Synonyms

Dicrossus filamentosa

Crenicara filamentosa

Crenicara filamentosus

Checkerboard cichlid

Checkerboard lyretail

Chessboard cichlid

Distribution and habitat

Amazon River basin, in the Negro River drainage; Orinoco River basin from Inírida River in Colombia to Maripa in Venezuela.

Populations from the Rio Negro drainage has a different caudal fin pattern, and often some differences in colors, than fish from the Orinoco drainage in Colombia & Venezuela.

                            (From "South American Dwarf Cichlids", H.J. Mayland & D. Bork, 1997)

My (pictured) fish is wild, from Colombia, Orinoco drainage.

Water parameters

PH : 4 - 6
ppm : Low

My Experience

Breeding

Easy, in soft, acid, peatfiltered "black"-water