posted 02-08-2004 11:39 AM         

PIKE CICHLIDS

Refusal to accept prepared foods is common in highly specialized species

This aquaristic problem is more common with species that are specialized. A certain critter they eat in the wild constitutes almost all their dietary intake and they eat little else, may be because there is nothing else to eat or perhaps they are much better than other fish at devouring that specific little critter. Toss them a pellet and it doesn't elicit a feeding response because pellets don't possess the necessary characteristics that make these fish eat or they simply don't like the taste of pellets.

We all know that fish prefer to eat moving foods; and that is what I took advantage of when I was weaning a few Geophagus sp. (they are basically brasiliensoids with a different shaped head) from baby brine and grindal worms. I tossed few Tetrabits into their little tank and with the aid of a plastic eyedropper, squirted the sunken granular food and made the food swim around. The fish would attack it when the pellets were moving but once the food sunk to the bottom, they resumed begging me for additional mobile food. I then completely stopped feeding them live foods and stayed with squirted Tetrabits for a week. After a day of fasting and the temperature at 83 F, the fish half-heartedly nibbled at some sunken pellets. One more week of that and they were happily inhaling pellets.

I don't follow fads and I didn't mean to jump on the Pike Cichlid bandwagon, but I've always wanted to keep these fish but never had the room or money in graduate school. So finally, when I got out of college and I got a fish room and a job, I decided to start keeping Crenicichla sp. Yesiree, I was going to get into them in a big way and then wouldn't you know it, Wayne Leibel officially starts the Pike Cichlid craze with a Pike Cichlid issue of the Buntbarsche Bulletin (Journal of the American Cichlid Association). Now the guys at the pet store group me with the reef people for being faddish.

Anyway, I obtained some Crenicichla (Batrachops) semifasciata, C. compressiceps, C. sp. bellyslider (incorrectly sold as C. sedentaria) and C. frenata Trinidad and a lone specimen of C. dorsocellata - five very different Pikes. None of them liked pellets in the beginning.

posted 02-08-2004 11:42 AM         

Housing Pikes with Cichlasomines, allows the Pikes to watch and learn. In soaring birds of prey, the zillions of Turkey and Black vultures in Florida, for example, the descent of one bird tells another bird that the descender has spotted food. I've observed this behavior in Characins and I see no reason why cichlids can t use this mode of prey detection. The point is: keep the Pikes with pellet-eating fish.

The older the fish, the longer it takes to convert to pellets. A good friend, Darin Gasperson, has had moderate success at getting his Cichla ocellaris to eat pellets. My experience has been that juveniles of the lugubris-group are a little easier to convert to pellets than member of the saxatilis-group. If only I could keep the lugubris-types from getting so huge their temperament seems much more agreeable than those of the saxatilis-types.

I've also noticed that specimens low in the pecking order learn to eat pellets sooner than the gold medallist intramural thugger. Why? I don't know for certain but does the thugee feel the need to eat anything to hang on to dear life? Have any of you observed this?

With a combination of patience, frozen foods, high temperatures and the addition of Cichlasomines, I've managed to convert ALL of my Pikes on to pellets. I actually got my Crenicichla semifasciata to eat frozen peas! Of course, I culture a lot of live foods like earthworms, daphnia etc. and the Pikes get these live foods only after they learn to eat pellets. This way, if the live food cultures ever die or if my neighbor doesn't like handling earthworms while I'm traveling, the fish can always eat pellets. Modern pellets like Doromin are quite nutritious and can add bulk to the fish and can even condition some Pikes to spawn.
For the beginning aquarist, identifying unknown Crenicichla species can be confusing and difficult. The first course of action is to ask other hobbyists or look up reference books. The Cichlids Yearbook series, the German book on South American Cichlids, Die Buntbarsche der Neuen Welt by Stawikowski and Werner and the Aqualog South American cichlids 1 can be reasonably helpful in pinpointing the identity of a species.

The description of the physiology and appearance of a species in question are powerful tools in identification as well. Once you get comfortable with the terminology used in technical literature, you will be able to break down the fish into a set of unique physical traits.

The following are descriptions of a few physical characteristics that may help you:

Suborbital marking: This refers to the marking immediately under the eye. Most Crenicichla species groups have suborbital marking unique to them, of course, with a few exceptions. These markings are usually triangular or striped and some species do not have any. The triangular markings are common in the saxatilis group. C. semicincta from Peru of the saxatilis group is an exception, it has a sub orbital stripe. Most Froghead Pikes of the reticulata group and dwarf pikes of the wallaci group do not sport suborbital markings. The old lepidota group sensu Kullander and the coastal species of the lacustris group of Eastern Brazil, have sub orbital stripes. It must be mentioned that these species groupings are not very distinct and the generalizing based on their occasionally overlapping boundaries should not be followed rigidly. However, discussing it, rather than not, is mildly educational.

Postorbital marking : This refers to the marking between the eye and the operculum or the gill cover. Some species like C. lugubris have a black blotch there. C. proteus have a simple horizontal black line there and female C. frenata from Trinidad have a black line sandwiched by two whitish lines.

Humeral blotch: This is the dark blotch immediately behind (posterior) and slightly above the operculum. It is absent in the reticulata, lacustris and wallaci groups. It is prominent in the lugubris and saxatilis groups. These blotches may vary in size and may or may not be ocellated (surrounded by a light colored ring.) The position of the humeral blotch relative to the lateral line is an important identification tool. The lateral line cuts through the middle of the humeral blotch in some species and in others the blotch is clearly beneath the lateral line.

Dorsal ocelli: This refers to the dark or black spots/blotches on the dorsal fins of the females of some species. This trait is particularly evident in some C. regani forms, C. notophthalmus, females of some lacustris and some reticulata group members. Like the humeral blotch, these spots may or may not be ocellated.

Submarginal band: This trait is mentioned in reference to the light colored (often white) line just below the outer edge of the dorsal fin in females. This band is usually broad and red in females of the reticulata group. Usually lacking in some dwarf species and the lacustris group.

Caudal ocelli: Like the dorsal ocelli and the humeral blotch, the caudal ocelli is a “false eye” that many South American cichlids use as a deterrent against small fin-nipping Piranhas that are less likely to attack the region around the eye of the prey. This spot is located at the base of the tail. Again, it varies in shape, size and degree of ocellation.

Fin ray counts (meristics): This ichthyological tool is also a good identification tactic. All cichlids have a range of hard and soft fin rays. I have used the dorsal fin rays to narrow down some species identification. With live aquarium specimens, this is difficult but it is possible with a crisp and clearly lit photograph. Netting the fish our and actually counting the rays is slightly more traumatic and stressful to your charges. The numbers may then be compared to published figures.

Extension of Maxilla under the orbit: Pike cichlids, often with their wide gapes, have the ends of their lip fold or corner further back than most cichlids. This extension of the lip goes back as far as just below the eye or sometimes farther. In some species, the corner of the lip does not extend as far back as the eye. This is a species or group specific trait.

Placement of nostril relative to the labia: This is the space between the edge of the lip fold and the nostrils. In some species like C. reticulata, this distance is very short. There is a species determined distance between the two points.

Longitudinal scale count This is an ichthyological tool, usually used to distinguish between the aforementioned groups of pike cichlids. This is a number, often a range, of scales along the longitudinal length of the fish. Strigata group members have a high number of scales (often around 100) while C. britskii has low figures, about 45. This is not a practical instrument of pike cichlid identification.

Morphometrics This is the information derived from the body proportions of the fish, like the height of the fish given as a ratio to the length of the fish.

If you find yourself reading some of Kullander’s or Ploeg’s publications, you are likely to run into a few more words that you may not be familiar with. Their papers, especially Kullander’s, become enjoyable if you understand some of the terminology used in describing a species.

Holotype: a single specimen of a species used for describing the species. If many specimens are used for the descriptions, a single specimen is usually identified as the holotype.

Paratypes: if a holotype is specified in a description based on many specimens, all the fish other than the holotype are paratypes.

Syntypes: often in older or in insufficiently detailed descriptions a holotype may not be specified. Worse, it may be “lost” or not stored in a museum. In such cases, similar specimens are set up as syntypes. This process leaves room for errors in the author’s interpretation.

Lectotype: if a previously described species is examined at a later date by an ichthyologist, a lectotype may be chosen from among the type series to be used as a defining specimen.

Of course, this is by no means a comprehensive list of technical jargon used in pike cichlid nomenclature, but it is hoped that learning this vocabulary will make your next trip to the library a little more productive. If you have read this far without falling asleep, my hat's off to you.
There are over a hundred species and this genus is second in number and diversity only to Apistogramma. Difficulty involved in identification of these species has led to the creation of species groups, mostly by KULLANDER, LUCENA and PLOEG. While a species’ identity may often be unclear without knowing its collection locality, all species can be placed in their respective groups with only rudimentary knowledge of the characteristics of each species group. See below for a list of species belonging to each group and their shared physical characteristics.
Saxatilis Group (41 species): these fish are known as Spangled Pikes for the numerous white to gold spangles found along the sides of males and some females. They all possess a humeral blotch (shoulder spot) that may or may not have a ring around it. albopunctata, Pellegrin 1904
alta, Eigenmann 1912 (syn. C. cardiostigma)
anthurus, Cope 1872
britskii, Kullander 1986
coppenamensis, Ploeg 1987
frenata, Gill 1858
hemera, Kullander 1990
hummelincki, Ploeg 1991
inpa, Ploeg 1991
isbrueckeri, Ploeg 1991
labrina, (Spix & Agassiz 1829)
lepidota, Heckel 1840
lucius, Cope 1871
menezesi, Ploeg 1991
nickeriensis, Ploeg 1987
pellegrini, Ploeg 1991
proteus, Cope 1872
pydanielae, Ploeg 1991
santosi, Ploeg 1991
saxatilis, (Linnaeus 1758)
semicincta, Steindachner 1892
sipaliwini, Ploeg 1987
sp. "Approuage"
sp. "Arapiuns"
sp. "Belem"
sp. "British Guyana I"
sp. "British Guyana II"
sp. "Casiquiare"
sp. "False anthurus"
sp. "Inirida I" (sp. Bocon)
sp. "Inirida II"
sp. "Inirida III"
sp. "Jurua Eirunepe"
sp. "Madeira"
sp. "Orinoco Puerto Ayacucho"
sp. aff. britskii "Sao Francisco"
sp. Tocantins I
sp. Tocantins II
sp. Tocantins III
sveni, Ploeg 1991
vaillanti, Pellegrin 1904 (syn. alta?)

Lugubris Group (16 species): these are the largest of all pikes. Adults have a salami-like appearance. Possessing very small scales, they look smooth. Juveniles of these species have a unique spots-and-stripe pattern on their heads that they lose as they mature. adspersa, Heckel 1840
cincta, Regan 1905
johanna, Heckel 1840
lenticulata, Heckel 1840
lugubris, Heckel 1840
marmorata, Pellegrin 1903
rosemariae, Kullander 1997
sp. "Arapiuns lugubris"
sp. "Aripuana"
sp. "Atabapo"
sp. "Uaupes/Negro Multispot"
sp. "Venezuela"
sp. "Xingu I"
sp. "Xingu II"
sp. "Xingu III"
strigata, Gunther 1862

Acutirostris Group (9 species) : these rarely imported species are similar to lugubris group members but they all are more slender and have pointy heads. Juveniles of these species do not exhibit the spots-and-stripes pattern. acutirostris, Gunther 1862
multispinosa, Pellegrin 1903
percna, Kullander 1991
phaiospilus, Kullander 1991
sp. aff. acutirostris Madeira
sp. "Tapajos Red"
sp. "Trombetas"
ternetzi, Norman 1926
tigrina, Ploeg 1991

Reticulata Group (13 species) : these fish were members of the genus Batrachops and are now considered Crenicichla. C. cyanonotus, C. reticulata, C. semifasciata and C. stocki have extremely large, round heads and are often referred to as Froghead Pikes. The others are specialized and inhabit swift flowing waters and have compressed heads. They do not have a shoulder spot (with one exception) but possess a distinct caudal spot and the females exhibit a red to orange bar on their flanks and dorsal fins during breeding. In the rheophilic species, the red bar on the dorsal fin is restricted to the upper half of the soft rays. cametana, Steindachner 1911
cyanonotus, Cope 1871
cyclostoma, Ploeg 1986
geayi, Pellegrin 1903
jegui, Ploeg 1986
reticulata, (Heckel 1840)
sedentaria, Kullander 1986
semifasciata, (Heckel 1840)
sp. "Belly Crawler"
sp. "Tapajos Shoulder spot"
sp. aff. geayi
sp. aff. jegui
stocki, Ploeg 1991

Wallaci Group Species (11 species) : these are dwarf pikes. They rarely exceed 5 inches. Females of some species have ringed black spots on the dorsal fins. compressiceps, Ploeg 1986
heckeli, Ploeg 1989
notophthalmus, Regan 1913
regani, Ploeg 1989
sp. aff. heckelii "Cumina"
sp. aff. notophthalmus "Maici-Mirim Madeira"
sp. "Orinoco Dwarf"
sp. "Xingu Dwarf"
urosema, Kullander 1990
virgatula, Ploeg 1991
wallaci, Regan 1905

Lacustris Group (13 species) : this group is under revision and does not have a clear diagnosis but they are all found in Southeast Brazil. Females often have a ringed black spot on the dorsal fin and both sexes often have a diagonal stripe under the eye. They do not have a shoulder spot. Most of these are large species, with a possible exception of C. jupiaensis, a reputed rapids-dwelling dwarf species. celidochilus, Casciotta 1987
dorsocellata, Haseman 1911
haroldoi, Luengo & Britski 1974
iguassuensis, Haseman 1911
jaguarensis, Haseman 1911
jupiaensis, Britski & Luengo 1968
lacustris, (de Castelnau 1855)
mucuryna, von Ihering 1914
niederleinii, (Holmberg 1891)
punctata, (Regan 1905)
sp. Iguassu I
sp. Iguassu II
vittata, Heckel 1840

Scotti Group Species (3 species) : these are large gray species with suborbital stripe, dorsal fin spot in females and rows of horizontal lines along the sides. scotti, (Eigenmann 1907)
gaucho, Lucena & Kullander 1992
prenda, Lucena & Kullander 1992

Missioneira Group Species (7 species) : these Rio Uruguai endemics are characterized by an unusual suborbital marking, consisting of only a few spots, a prominent post temporal spot and spotting on the body. Some females possess a dorsal fin spot. C. punctata of the lacustris group may actually belong here. igara, Lucena & Kullander 1992
jurubi, Lucena & Kullander 1992
minuano, Lucena & Kullander 1992
missioneira, Lucena & Kullander 1992
sp. Giraffe
sp. aff. missioneira "Rio Forquilha"
tendybaguassu, Lucena & Kullander 1992

Other (1 species): macrophthalma, Heckel 1840.
This unique fish has enormous eyes and is nocturnal. It is shaped like a wallaci group species but grows to about 8 inches. This ill-fitting species is ironically the type species of the genus

posted 02-08-2004 11:44 AM         

Size:
14"

Temperature:
72 to 79° F

PH:
Neutral

Water Type:
Freshwater

Tank Level:
All

Diet:
Carnivorous

Temperament:
aggressive

Rarity:
common

Breeding:
Intermediate

Family:
Cichlidae

Type:
Cichlids

Minimum Tank Size:
65 Gallons

Numbers:
solitary

posted 02-08-2004 11:45 AM         

C. lepidota prefers conditioned, neutral water. Regular water changes will keep this fish healthy and in peak condition. Because of its potential size of 14 inches, this fish will need plenty of swimming room. An aquarium of at least 65 gallons is strongly recommended. The Pike Cichlid will actively swim throughout all levels of the tank.

This species is readily available through many fish retailers. Breeding lepidota, however, can be challenging. Water and environment need to be carefully established and monitored for success.