Keepers/breeders of Bolivian acaras (Cichlasoma boliviense)?

Yup, that's the correct spelling ... though not surprised you didn't find anything ... in my library (dating back to about 1988) I only have two references to this particular fish ... once in a Dr. Wayne Leibel article back in a 1993 AFM article (no piccie) and Linke and Staeke's book on larger south american cichlids (only piccie I've seen of them in print).

Kullander restricted the genus Cichlasoma to the port cichlids, which is confusing becuase the most common port cichlid is C. bimaculatum, with the common name of black acara!!!

C.bimaculatum, C. amazonarum, C. arguaiense, C. orinicoense are the northern forms that sometimes can be found though most seem rather bland compared to the southern species (to my eye at least. )

The soutern forms seem to have more irredesence to me, with C. boliviense being gold flecked, C. dimerus being silver flecked, and the true port cichlid C. portalegrensis having silver-blue flecks.

All grow to the 5-6 inch area, and are somewhat mellowish for cichlids ... on the same range as calm blue acaras (versus the ones that think they are rivulatus!!)

Neat fish but overlooked as even common blue acaras are much prettier than the more common ports (C. bumaculatum and C. amazonarum usually).

I got a (wild) pair of Cichlasoma boliviense from Jeff Rapps a couple of months ago. Not sure if he has more.

I put mine by themselves in a 40g tank and they just wouldn't get along. They mouthfought for hours (mouth to mouth) until the female lost...and the male would let her out of the corner. I haven't tried to keep them with other fish yet, so I don't know if they can hang with other cichlids.

I now have them divided in the same tank and they've added about an inch in a couple of months. They eat like pigs. I'm hoping that they'll breed through the divider, although no tubes or eggs yet.

The male is now a real stunner, at least as port-ish fish go: metallic spangles, long fins and extensions. The female's tan without extensions to her fins.

I also have and am breeding (yet to raise the fry) some wild Cichlasoma arguaiense, which are also port/acara types. They're from Rio Araguanensis (sp?), hence the name. The male is about 5" with long fin extensions and fewer spangles than the boliviense. The female's brown and smaller. They turn darker brown with vertical barring when they breed. They're very mellow to each other and to other cichlids. Mine lived and bred with buffaloheads in the tank (and let the buffaloheads breed in peace as well).

The boliviense remind me of "Aequidens awani" which was available back in the day. I recall that "awani" got larger and thicker than either of the fish I have.

The arguiaense remind me of Aequidens patricki, which I had and bred a couple of years ago...although the patricki were lighter in color, slightly smaller and had less fin extensions. The patricki males were also harder on the females (in my experience).

Long live acaras!

All this talk of irridescence made me take a closer look, so now I'm not quite so sure I have a male. It only has the faintest bit of blue on the lower lip, my obviously male C.amazonarum had a curious tolerance for it, and it's spawning tube appears pointed only from the side and slightly squared-off from the front. The amazonarum's been removed from that tank for several days now, so I'll see if this leads to any changes in color. That may be very soon since it's already gotten a bit more territorial!

Just to be clear here.. If these mismatched species were a pair and they happened to spawn, the fry would take a 1-way trip to meet my Crenicichla compressiceps. :thumb:

As for it's identity, I'm quite positive I have C.boliviense. I have pics on another machine that I'll try to post tonight. This fish is probably from the northwestern limits of it's range, as it was part of a hodgepodge shipment from what I understand to be the Peru border area (Rio Madre de Dios I assume). Since I bought the only 2 fish shipped, I've always been a bit broken-up about breaking up a possible pair.

dogofwar- I'd love to see a shot or 2 of your boliviense as well if you have some.. Too bad you're way over there on the left coast, because what I really want is to offer this fish free of charge to anybody putting effort into getting fry out into the hobby. Hard to judge the usefulness of an extra male if it is one tho....heh

"up, that's the correct spelling ... though not surprised you didn't find anything ... in my library (dating back to about 1988) I only have two references to this particular fish ... once in a Dr. Wayne Leibel article back in a 1993 AFM article (no piccie) and Linke and Staeke's book on larger south american cichlids (only piccie I've seen of them in print). "

I have read the same article. I tried to locate this species to several years, but was unable to get any. I did see them for sale from time to time, but lacked the tank space at the times when they were available to me.

As far as their home range is concerned, They appear to be found from Eastern Peru into Bolivia.
I am going back to Peru this fall. I intended on trying to visit Puerto Maldonado in an attempt to collect some for myself. I think I may pass since it is really the only species of interest to me in the area and it would add countless dollars to my trip (for one species?).

I may try to get some from an exporter that I visited while I was in Peru in 05.

dwarfpike said:

Ded Revil :wink: ... if I remember correctly, C. boliviense barely make it even into brazil, let alone peru ... but I left the book at work for something to read while on calls! :zz:

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While on fishbase (yes, I know it's not perfect), I did see that the Swedish Museum of Natural History submitted a pic of a juvenile from Brazil and an adult from Peru. Then there's this pic submitted by a guy from APAC in Peru that looks nothing like the other Peruvian C.amazonarum he submitted, or those I've kept myself in the past (which are quite drab dark brown fish). That fish very clearly looks to be C.boliviense and not C.amazonarum thru my self-educated eyes anyway..

A strong case for Peruvian C.boliviense, but of course geography makes me rethink my prior assumption of this shipment coming from southern Peru. Since just about everything from Peru is shipped out of Iquitos, I don't see fish going traveling over land most of the length of the country or over the Andes to the airport in Lima....heh

Nandus said:

I may try to get some from an exporter that I visited while I was in Peru in 05.

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You could always have mine at least, but I don't intend on visiting new england anytime soon....sorry! :?

So....on to those pics!

Looks like the camera caught a bit of blue in the ventral fins that I didn't notice before..

..and here's it is inseparable from my Columbian? (imported w/ keyholes) C.amazonarum while they were in this tank together....you can even see him in the far right of the 1st pic.

dwarfpike said:

All grow to the 5-6 inch area, and are somewhat mellowish for cichlids ... on the same range as calm blue acaras (versus the ones that think they are rivulatus!!

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I've owned 2 male port acaras, aquarium strain, that got around 8". I had them for quite some time, many years ago. Timid and not very capable when they were young; as mature males they were quite different. Very capable for their size and very territorial. My first large male defended space from a large pair of breeding JD as well as pairs of breeding convicts in a 4 1/2 foot 60 gal. It was "prettier" then my second large male. I think it may have been C. portalgrensis. Much nicer fins and not as thick bodied as my second large male.

The second large male defended a territory from a much larger male Black belt in a 6ft. 180 gal. IME a mature male port is a tough fish ---very unlike younger port cichlids. I know every fish is different, but I have never owned a Blue acara or GT that could have done that. IME, mellow is a very good description of the fish growing up ---- but the older, mature male I would describe as very territorial. Mine owned space, and defended this territory from most, and at times all my other cichlids.



Here's a pic of my second male from around 1986. Tank also had female RD and younger female dovii. I think it may have been C. bimaculatum, though someone who really knows the differences between the port species might be able to identify it.