Matt Clarke on a new species of Teleocichla from Brazil's Rio Xingu drainage.
Scientific name: Teleocichla sp. "Xingu"
Size: Around 8cm/3"
Origin: The Rio Xingu river system, South America.
Water: Ideally, soft and acidic water with a low pH (5-6) and a low hardness (1-4). However, these fish appear adaptable. These ones were doing well in neutral, slightly soft water.
Aquarium: A 60cm/24" tank with lots of smooth, water-worn pebbles and a good flow from a power filter. Can be mixed with tetras and catfishes quite safely.
Diet: Frozen bloodworms, daphnia and brineshrimp are taken readily.
Habitat: Found in moderately fast flowing streams and rivers in the Rio Xingu basin.
Availability: These fish were imported from Peru. Only dealers who import their own fish will be able to get hold of these.
Notes: There are probably about ten species in this new cichlid genus, only seven of which have been described to date. Five species have been described from the Rio Xingu area, including: T. gephyrogramma, T. monogramma, T. cinderella, T. centrarchus and T. centisquama (the latter species was only described last year). This one may (or may not) be a new species.
Rarity rating: Probably not previously imported into the UK.
Price: 11.50 for a 6cm/2" fish.
This was first published in the January 2004 issue of Practical Fishkeeping.