Acaronia vultuosa
Acaronia vultuosa was described in 1989 by Kullander. The genus has only two species, the other species is Acaronia nassa.
Although they occur in a large area in South America, little is known about this species. They are never actually offered in the aquarium trade.
Description
The males of Acaronia vultuosa grow slightly larger than the females. They can reach a maximum total length of about 15 centimetres. The females are usually no bigger than about 12 centimetres. The colour is a bit of a dull grey/brown. Depending on the mood, a black pattern can sometimes be seen on the head. Sometimes a black spot can be seen high on the flank that can also form a black horizontal line.
Biotope
This species can be found in a fairly large area in the Orinoco river system in Colombia and Venezuela and in the Rio Negro in Brazil and Venezuela. They also occur in the tributaries Rio Casiquiare, Rio Inírida, Rio Caura and Rio Vichada.
Diet
In the wild, Acaronia vultuosa is a real fish eater (piscivore). They have a fairly large mouth and anything that fits in it is eaten. This is also the reason why they are difficult to keep in the aquarium.
The Aquarium
This species is best kept in a species aquarium. The minimum length for a couple is 150 to 180 centimetres. Only other large cichlids can be kept as secondary fish. The temperature should in any case be kept above 25 degrees Celsius to keep them healthy. The pH may be between 6.0 and 7.5.
Make sure to decorate the aquarium with lots of plants. In the wild, they inhabit the vegetated shallows of the rivers where they hunt for fish.
Breeding Acaronia vultuosa
Nothing is known about breeding Acaronia vultuosa.
Video
Author
John de Lange
Copyright images
Jeff Rapps – Tangledupincichlids.com
References
