Herichthys carpintis – Pearlscale Cichlid

Herichthys carpintis or Pearlscale Cichlid has seen many names, such as Cichlasoma carpinte and Neetroplus carpintis. It remains a fantastically beautiful fish that does need some space.

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Herichthys carpintis – Pearlscale Cichlid

Central American Cichlids are not exactly known for their exuberant appearance, but Herichthys carpintis, also called the Pearl Cichlid, is the exception that proves the rule. Adult specimens have an almost royal appearance. The mantle of blue-turquoise drops, which break into all conceivable colors under daylight conditions, is truly a feast for the eyes. In some populations, the spots extend over the scale edges. A detailed description seems superfluous here, the photos speak for themselves. In the wild, the males grow to about 22 centimeters. Females remain slightly smaller. In the aquarium, however, the animals easily reach 25 centimeters. This fish is closely related to Herichthys cyanoguttatus and some variants are difficult to distinguish from the Texas Cichlid (see H. cyanoguttatus ).

The variation within Herichthys carpintis is great. The reason for this must be sought in the isolation that characterizes many of its home waters. The best-known locations can be found in and around the city of Tampico. These are the coastal lagoons, namely Carpintero, Chairel, Escondida, Tortuga, Chila, Lagartero, Marland, and Pueblo Viejo. The animals from these lagoons are generally somewhat higher built than their cousins from the rivers Rio Verde, Pánuco, Salto, Soto la Marina, Pánuco, Tampaón, Valles, Moctezuma, Axtla, Tempoal and Tamesí. When caring for them in the aquarium, it is important that we keep the different variants separate. This is the only way to preserve authenticity. However, this is easier said than done. Sooner or later, every breeding line will have to deal with the consequences of inbreeding. Often, crossing with another bloodline is then the only option. And if the right variant is not available at that moment… In this way, many variants have already perished, and probably just as many have been cobbled together. What do you think of the Herichthys carpintis “Vontehillo”, a variant popular in America. I have not been able to trace the location of this fish, but if anyone knows, please let me know.

Herichthys carpintis - Pearlscale Cichlid
Herichthys carpintis – Pearlscale Cichlid

Another special variant is the one from the Rio Soto Marina (see photos Thomas Kyrath). This seems to be a transitional form between Herichthys carpintis and Herichthys cyanoguttatus . The yellowish base colour of H. cyanoguttatus with the large spots of H. carpintis . This fish was seen as a separate species by Fowler in 1903 and described as Herichthys teporatis . A year later the same fish was again described as H. cyanoguttatus by Meek . Fowler’s description probably escaped him. It was not until 1970 that the fish came into the spotlight again and Alvarez made it a subspecies, a subspecies of H. cyanoguttatus to be precise. However, the term “subspecies” is somewhat taboo among taxonomists of neotropical cichlids, so when Kullander got the chance in 2003 he quickly put an end to it. He also put H. carpintis on the throne. Robert Rush Miller quietly pointed out in his 2005 Magnum Opus that the two species H. carpintis and H. cyanoguttatus could hybridize here. That did not stop De La Maza Benignos from taking the old name out of mothballs again, H. teporatus and this time as a full-fledged species. The latest and most recent revision dates from 2015 in which Perez-Miranda returns the fish to C. carpintis , but with the proviso that, as Miller already predicted, evidence of hybridization had indeed been found. It is possible that the variation in the Rio Soto Marina is greater than we can currently see and that the fish in the photo is one of many qualities. Gene studies are currently in preparation to further unravel the evolutionary status of the Rio Soto Marina Herichthys (Pérez-Miranda 2016)

Etymology

Named after the type locality, the coastal lagoon “Laguna del Carpintero” at the mouth of the Rio Pánuco, which at the time (1899) was on the edge of, but is now in the middle of, the city of Tampico.

Herichthys is a reference to the previously established genus Heros .

Synonyms: Cichlasoma carpinte, Cichlasoma carpintis, Cichlasoma laurae, Heros temporatus, Neetroplus carpintis

Distribution and Habitat

The Pearl Cichlid originates from Mexico. The lowland rivers including the many lagoons in the estuary of the Rio Pánuco form the habitat of Herichthys carpintis . The populations higher up in the river basin such as the Rio Verde do not originally belong there and can therefore in fact be considered exotics. The H. carpintis from the Rio Verde has also managed to reach Media Luna where it poses a direct threat to the Herichthys labridens with which it hybridizes. And this appears to be no exception. The latest studies into the species diversity within the genus Herichtys (Pérez-Miranda F. 2016) show that hybridization within this genus is common. In addition, the different species, including H. carpintis, have great phenotypic variation. This is variation that is caused by differences in external ecological factors. Thus, the animals from the coastal lagoons are generally higher and more compactly built than those from the fast-flowing water of the Rio Verde and the animals that eat mainly vegetarian food have a different set of teeth than the populations that eat a lot of snails. The environment has an influence on the final appearance. The color of the animals is also often related to abiotic factors (including minerals and food dissolved in water), etc. etc. All these factors together do not make classification any easier. It seems very likely that every tributary or lagoon that houses a H. carpintis has created its own variation.

The Aquarium

Herichthys carpintis has been kept in aquariums for a long time. These aquarium strains have the same high tolerance values as we know from H. cyanoguttatus. H. carpintis is also sometimes kept in outdoor ponds in Europe and the salt tolerance of these fish may be even higher than that of H. cyanoguttatus. But be careful. This certainly does not apply to all variants. Wild-caught fish can react very differently, depending on their specific area of origin. Therefore, it is important to know where the animals come from for adequate care. It makes quite a difference whether the fish come from the stagnant, brackish water of the coastal lagoons or from the clear, flowing water of the Rio Moctezuma. So always ask about the origin and set up the aquarium accordingly. But of course this applies to all fish. First, delve into the fish. Where does it come from, what is its role and under what circumstances has it evolved into what it is today? Aquarium keeping becomes so much more fun and interesting if you first delve into these things before you buy fish. These fish are best kept in groups in a large aquarium (from 2 meters). Start with young animals and then slowly decimate until you have a small more or less stable (evenly matched) group of animals left.

Diet

Omnivore. There is little that H. carpintis does not like. A true opportunist, therefore, that knows how to use every food source in its habitat. Insects and their larvae, fish eggs and young fish, snails, plants, fruit, algae and detritus, everything is devoured. Juan Artigas has observed that young animals are more inclined to search the bottom substrate for insects and larvae. The reason for this difference in foraging behavior is not entirely clear but could be explained by young animals’ higher protein requirement compared to adults.

Herichthys carpintis - Pearlscale Cichlid
Herichthys carpintis – Pearlscale Cichlid

Breeding Herichthys carpintis

Breeding data of Artigaz Azas. 2008. Retrieved from Cichlidroom.

The breeding season normally starts at the end of March, a little later than the Labridense group, and ends at the beginning of August. Males temporarily develop a frontal hump which, together with the striking iridescent green-blue spots, should attract the females to their newly formed territories. These are always established around a rock, usually in colonies formed by several pairs in places sheltered from the current. Males from 10 centimeters participate in the formation of territories, although they have to be satisfied with the edges of the colony or are forced to breed in remote areas.

Females are quickly attracted to the male’s territories and the vertical surfaces of rocks are the preferred substrate for preparing to spawn. The larger the rock the better. At this time, the animals develop a striking pattern of black bands on the posterior half of the flanks and a velvety black coloration on the lower part of the body, from the base of the caudal fin to the lower lip. The front half of the body turns white, while the anterior spines of the dorsal fin develop a beautiful pink coloration.

Herichthys carpintis - Pearlscale Cichlid
Herichthys carpintis – Pearlscale Cichlid

Females always choose a larger male. The larger, the better, and it is not uncommon to see pairs where the male is twice as large as the female. Pairs constantly interact with their neighbors. The spawning site is carefully cleaned of dirt and/or algae. A few hours before spawning, the white sexual papillae become visible. Eggs are salmon-colored, oval, and 2 mm long. A clutch of an adult pair can easily contain over 1000 eggs which are guarded by the pair for two days until they hatch. The female stays close to the eggs to fan them and the male chases away intruders. From time to time, the roles are reversed.

During the incubation period, the couples are also busy digging nest holes. These are about 10 cm wide and deep and larvae are moved from one hole to the other, apparently with the aim of misleading nocturnal predators such as Ictalurus sp. Five days after hatching, the yolk sac is used up and the young start to move. One day later, the young swim freely but close to the mother. The male stays at a slightly greater distance and protects the territory. The young swim in a circular motion from backwards over their brothers and sisters to the front. The young at the bottom of the school continually peck at the sediment or rocks they pass.

The father directs the movement and the female follows, while she in turn directs the young by shaking her body and vigorously opening and closing her fins. Coordination is now important because Astyanax mexicanus is always nearby and will not hesitate to take advantage of the questionable behavior of breeding pairs. They are capable of consuming an entire clutch in a matter of seconds. The young are guarded until they are about 2 cm long, after which they gradually go their own way, hiding among rocks and vegetation in the shallower parts of their habitat, until they reach a pre-adolescent size and begin their own social life

Video

Author

René Beerlink – NVCweb

Copyright images

Ramon Koning
AquaMojo

Reference

Starr J. D. & Snyder J. O. 1899. Notes on a collection of fishes from the rivers of Mexico, with description of twenty new species. Bulletin of the U.S. Fish Commission.

The authors Starr and Snyder spent part of the winter of 1898-1899 in Northern Mexico. David Star was in his time “the” authority on North American fishes and Otterbein Snyder was a former student of Starr, by then more of a friend and colleague. They spent their free time there on the catch and classification of the Northern Mexican fish community. The description contains a few remarkable things. First, the fish is placed in Neetroplus and not in Heros . This was done on the basis of dental characteristics. In itself quite special because it would be the only representative of this genus above “Punta del Morro” (a volcanic barrier, which for thousands of years kept the fish between North and South Mexico separated). The authors do not mention this. What also remains unmentioned is the striking resemblance to H. cyanoguttatus , this can hardly have escaped an Ichthyologist like David Starr. But it gets really strange when the same description even mentions the capture of H. cyanoguttatus , no less than from the same water as the H. carpintis, namely the Laguna del Carpintero. And the following passage from the description doesn’t really make things any better. “Many specimens of the larger species were obtained, by visiting the Tampico markets” ;)

Literature

  • Pérez-Miranda F. et al. 2016. Phylogeny and species diversity of the genus Herichthys
  • Salazar González M. 2007. An underwater meeting with Herichthys carpintis.
  • Miller M. 2005. Freshwater Fishes of Mexico.
  • Stawikowski R., Werner U. 1985. Die Buntbarsche Amerika’s 1.
  • Staeck W. 1985. American Cichlids 2
  • Maza-Benignos M. 2005. Abrupt Change vs Moderate Graduality in a Transition Zone From Herichthys cyanoguttatus to H. carpintis. The Search for the Missing Link.
  • Pérez-Miranda F. et al 2017. Phylogeny and species diversity of the genus Herichthys (Teleostei: Cichlidae)
  • Jordan, David Starr & J. O. Snyder. 1899. Notes on a collection of fishes from the rivers of Mexico, with description of twenty new species.
  • Barboza et al. 1994. The fishes of northern and central Veracruz, Mexico
  • Cichlidae.com

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Additional information

Family

Genus

Species

carpintis

Synonym

Cichlasoma carpintis, Cichlasoma laurae, Cichlosoma laurae, Neetroplus carpintis

Common name

Pearlscale Cichlid

First described by

David Starr Jordan, John Otterbein Snyder

Character

Breeding behaviour

Diet

Zone

Origin

Country

ecosystem

Minimum length

25

Length maximum

30

Temperature minimum

18

Temperature maximum

28

pH minimum

7.0

pH maximum

8.5

GH minimum

10

GH max

15