''Amatitlania septemfasciata'' (sometimes called the Seven-stripe Cichlid or Cutter's Cichlid) is a fish species in the

cichlid Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this ...

family. It is found on the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

slope of

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

, between the San Juan River drainage and the

Banano River Banano River is a river of Costa Rica.Instituto Costarricense de Turismo ...

. Several currently recognized cichlid species within the genus ''

Amatitlania ''Amatitlania'' is a genus of cichlid fishes native to freshwater habitats in Central America from El Salvador and Guatemala to Panama. They are fairly small cichlids, typically reaching up to in standard length depending on exact species, altho ...

'' were formerly considered varieties of ''Amatitlania septumfasciata'', including '' Amatitlania myrnae'', the Topaz Cichlid, and '' Amatitlania cutteri'' (which also sometimes uses the common name "Cutter's Cichlid"). Prior to being placed in the genus ''Amatitlania'', it had been considered a member of the genus ''

Archocentrus ''Archocentrus'' is a genus of cichlid fish from Central America. It currently contains a single species, the flier cichlid (''Archocentrus centrarchus''), which is found in stagnant and slow-moving freshwater habitats such as lakes, ponds, ditch ...

''. Within ''Amatitlania,'' ''Amatitlania septemfasciata'' is placed in the subgenus '' Bussingius'', along with the T-bar Cichlid and several other species. However, a 2008 study led by Oldřich Říčan has suggested that all the related species ''A. septemfasciatus'', should be moved into the genus ''

Hypsophrys ''Hypsophrys'' is a small genus of cichlid fishes from Central America. Species There have been two recognized species in this genus: * '' Hypsophrys nematopus'' ( Günther, 1867) (Poor man's tropheus) * ''Hypsophrys nicaraguensis ''Hypsophr ...

''.

Natural history

''Amatitlania septemfasciata'' grows to between . Males are typically larger than females. Both sexes generally have six vertical bars along each side. Females have a black spot or ocellus on the

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through conv ...

, which is generally surrounded by metallic coloration. It lives in rivers on the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica. It can be found in rivers of all velocities, including slow moving and fast moving rivers. The bottom of the rivers it lives in are generally covered by rocks and leaf litter. In its natural habitat, the pH is generally between 6.6 and 7.6 and the water temperature is between 21 and 27 degrees Celsius (70 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit). Its ability to protrude its jaw 3.5% standard length limits its diet to about 1% evasive prey. ''Amatitlania septemfasciata'' is an egg layer and a cave spawner. In breeds in crevices in the rocks at the bottom of the river. Spawnings typically result in 200 to 250 fry. The conservation status of ''Amatitlania septemfasciata'' has not been evaluated by the

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

(IUCN).

Aquarium keeping

''Amatitlania septemfasciata'' is kept in home

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

s. It is territorial, and thus a fairly large tank that is at least long is generally recommended. It can be kept at a temperature of between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius (75 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit), and pH of about 7.0. In the home aquarium, it is willing to eat a wide variety of foods, including flake food, live foods, frozen foods, beef heart and shrimp. ''Amatitlania septemfasciata'' can be bred in the home aquarium. It will either spawn in a cave or in the open. A temperature increase to 26 and 28 degrees Celsius (79 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit) helps induce spawning. The larvae hatch 72 to 80 hours after spawning, and are free swimming after 180 to 200 hours. The parents do not eat the fry, but rather both parents care for the fry intensively. The fry eat newly hatched brine shrimp.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3178405 septemfasciata Cichlid fish of Central America Fish described in 1908 Taxa named by Charles Tate Regan