ZOOMARK
CICHLID OF INDIA
By Sundar Rajan*
ndia is home to more than 700 fresh water fi sh
that include loaches, cat fi sh, barbs, Channas
(Snake heads), gobies etc. Most of the species
are endemic to two places - Th e Western Ghats and
the North East . Every year, new species are being
discovered and named. Among all fresh water fi sh
Indian barbs, Channa and Cichlid are famous globally
and hobbyists around the world prefer to keep them in
their aquarium. I By nature the fi sh are thought to breed during the
months of December and January, when temperatures
are colder and high monsoon waters have receded;
simulation of the change between season; can induce
captive species to spawn.
Th ere are more than 1600 species of Cichlid which are
found in the world, but there are only three species
which are native to India. Interestingly, they all have a
strong resemblance to
Madagascan Paretropline Cichlids. Etroplus suratensis (Green Chromide) are found both
in brackish and freshwater bodies. Th ey grow to about 12
inches in size. Th ey are aqua cultured as popular food fi sh
in the state of Kerala. Other than their size, they are good
candidates for the home aquarium. During spawning time
they lay eggs that are attached to a submerged log, rock or
sometimes roots and weeds, in still or slow fl owing water.
Parents guard and fan the eggs until hatching, which usually
takes about 4 days. Th e fry shoal around their parents
during the fi rst few weeks of growth. Parents refrain from
feeding from the time of spawning until the fry become
independent.
• Etroplus suratensis
• Pseudetroplus maculatus
• Etroplus canarensis
• Tank Size for holding the above species is an
aquarium with base dimensions of 48×25 inches and
for Etroplus suratensis 60×24 inches.
Etroplus 'etron' meaning belly and 'oplon' for arms; referring to the spines on the lower side; that is, the long spinous anal-fi n.
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Creature Companion | • Noida