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Male Archocentrus spinosissimus breeding colour is less dramatic than that of the females.
Archocentrus spinosissimus is not picky about its
water parameters. While the water parameters in
the native range of this species consists of a pH of
around 6.0 and almost no hardness, I’ve found
that this species does quite well in water of hard
water with a pH in the mid 7’s. Water tempera-
ture should be around 23-26 °C.
A recommended set-up for Archocentrus spinosis-
simus should include with drift-wood and rocks.
While many heroine cichlids will actively dig up
aquatic plants, a heavily planted tank is critical for
Archocentrus spinosissimus, the reason for which
will be discussed later in the breeding section be-
low. The combination of these elements will
make this shy fish feel comfortable. I’ve found
that this species is not picky about substrate and
either pea sized gravel or sand make fine sub-
strate choices.
In the wild Archocentrus spinosissimus has a ben-
thic diet, feeding on larval insects found in the
substrate and on aquatic plants. In captivity it is
not a picky resident accepting just about every
type of prepared food. I feed a mix of a high quali-
ty flake and pellet foods with the occasional treat
of frozen blood worms. This combination keeps
the fish in good shape and conditions them to
spawn.
Breeding
Unlike its suggested relatives Archocentrus cen-
trarchus and Archocentrus multispinosus, Archo-
centrus spinosissimus is difficult to breed in cap-
tivity. It also tends to breed with less regularity
than the other two members of the genus.
Sexual maturity in this species seems to be at a
size of 5-7 cm. Before spawning females will be-
come noticeably plumper and their genital papil-
la will become noticeable. In my experience, Ar-
cho centrus spinosissimus is an open spawner
which lays eggs on vertical surfaces. A vertical
piece of slate leaned up against the glass or a
flower pot provide excellent spawning sites for
this fish to lay their eggs on. It is not uncommon
for the fish to spawn on the glass of the aquari-
um. Clutches generally number is in the range of
100-150 eggs.
After spawning Archocentrus spinosissimus will
display their breeding colours . Formerly a white
fish with black spots, the parents take on a much
darker coloration with the ventral half of the fish
becoming almost black while the dorsal half be-
comes a dusky grey. In addition the vertical strip-
ing becomes quite prominent on the dorsal half
of the fish when spawning. The colour change is
most dramatic in females and on occasion some
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