1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Aggressive predator; keep only with large fish.
103 species in our list are a good match.
Aggressive predator; keep only with large fish.
Large pellets, fish pieces and prawns.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males are paler and slightly greener in colour than females.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Open substrate spawner · Hard
Open substrate spawner; after courtship (gill flaring, lunging) the pair spawns and both parents guard the brood. Fry hatch about a week later and the parents become extremely aggressive, attacking tankmates and the keeper's hands.
Grow out 6 juveniles and let a pair form; separate the pair if others are harassed.
A 450 L tank with a sponge or gentle filter, flat slate or rocks as spawning surfaces and a tight lid.
Warm, clean water, frequent water changes and protein-rich food.
Up to 2000 eggs from fully grown parents
Parents move the wrigglers to pits and guard the free-swimming fry; feed newly hatched brine shrimp and crushed flake.
A predatory cichlid from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras that lives in lakes and larger rivers, mostly in flowing water. Known in English as the false yellowjacket.
Albert Günther described this predatory cichlid in 1867, naming it after Guatemala's Río Motagua. It belongs to the same genus as the jaguar cichlid but has a more slender build. Aquarists know it for its red-tinged body and powerful, aggressive temperament.
First described by Albert Günther in 1867. Named for Named after the Río Motagua in Guatemala.
15 facts checked with sources
Common name in references: false yellowjacket cichlid; trade name 'motaguense'. Easily confused with the true yellowjacket, P. friedrichsthalii / P. loisellei.
FishBase: Parachromis motaguensis summaryLegacy has no family field.
FishBase: Parachromis motaguensis summarySeriously Fish 30.5 cm SL (larger figure); FishBase 30 cm TL. Legacy 30 cm agrees.
Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid) · FishBase: Parachromis motaguensis summaryLegacy 22-28 sits inside Seriously Fish 20-30.
Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid) · FishBase: Parachromis motaguensis summaryLegacy upper 8.5 is above both sources.
Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid) · FishBase: Parachromis motaguensis summaryLegacy has no hardness. Seriously Fish quick facts say 'not recorded' but the water-conditions text gives 6-16.
Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid) · FishBase: Parachromis motaguensis summary120 x 37.5 cm base x 45 cm height = 202.5 L (page states 205-212 L). Legacy 450 L is more than double; Seriously Fish warns breeding pairs will injure any tankmates, so more space is wise for a community.
Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid)No source names a swimming level.
FishBase: Parachromis motaguensis summarySeriously Fish's computed difficulty is 'Easy' (4 of 8, flags large tank and territorial) while its notes call it 'a nightmare to keep' because of aggression. Recorded as sourced; the site may reasonably keep 'moderate'.
Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid)Legacy has no range field.
FishBase: Parachromis motaguensis summary · Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid)Legacy says males are larger with a bigger head and hump; no source found supports this. The only sourced cue is colour.
Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid)Substrate spawning with biparental care verified.
FishBase: Parachromis motaguensis summary · Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid)Legacy 500-1000 plausible for smaller pairs; source gives up to 2000. Females mature at about 10-12.5 cm (FishBase Lm 11.3 cm).
Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid)Legacy omits El Salvador. The 'striped pattern' claim was not checked against a source.
Seriously Fish: Parachromis motaguensis (False Yellowjacket Cichlid)