Cassowary fish [1] , or the lion-headed cichlid [1] ( lat. Steatocranus casuarius ) is a freshwater fish of the cichlidae family .
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| Steatocranus casuarius Poll , 1939 |
Security status IUCN 3.1 Least Concern : 182754 |
Content
Description
The body length is 10 -15 cm [2] . The male develops a significant cone-shaped fat growth on the forehead, which gives it an impressive appearance with age. The female is smaller and has a smaller growth.
Distribution
Cassowary fish lives in the depression of the Congo (in the lower reaches of the Congo , Malebo backwaters ). He lives both in fast-flowing rivers and in calm zones of rapids in caves and hard plants. Due to the conditions of the habitat, the swimming bladder of the fish regressed, which explains its sharp way of swimming.
This is an omnivorous fish. Lives monogamously. Lays eggs in caves. Life expectancy in captivity can reach 12 years.
Contents
Fish need slightly acidic, strong currents and oxygen-rich water. Slightly alkaline water, pH up to 8.0, is also suitable for its well-being. The temperature should be between 25 and 28 ° C.
Cassowary fish peaceful fish and easily get along with their smaller neighbors, even guppies can safely swim in their company. But they will defend their burrow, and encroachments on someone else’s housing may well have bites on their faces.
Fish love to dig soil, but mostly under shelters, constantly changing and improving the interior of the home. In the aquarium, you can plant plants with a good root system, the fish plants themselves do not damage.
For the first time in the USSR, cassowary fish were introduced in 1971. Since then, these fish have taken root in our aquariums, but at the moment their population is not very large. This is due to the very modest color of the fish and the habit of leading a secretive lifestyle. They are very shy and do not like noise, crush and sharp movements near the aquarium. To reduce stress, you can shade the aquarium by placing floating plants on the surface of the water.
Cassowary fish eat absolutely any dry food. With caution, it is worth feeding them a tubule, however, like all African cichlids. The pipe maker may be poor-quality or poorly seasoned, and then the fish can become sick and die. Steocrancuses are very voracious, no need to overfeed them.
Although the cassowary fish is a peaceful species, the dominant male, like many of the cichlids, will be aggressive towards other males of its own species. This should be taken into account and provide the fish with the maximum number of shelters. And also keep in the aquarium either one male, or several, more than two.
Propagate in aquarium conditions. Cassowary fish without any problems. They are very caring parents, both fish protect caviar and fry. They do not have much caviar, on average, from 40 to 100 (in very large females). If there is enough food, the juveniles develop well and grow rapidly. [3]
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Reshetnikov Yu.S. , Kotlyar A.N. , Russ T.S. , Shatunovsky M.I. Pentate-linguistic dictionary of animal names. Fish. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / edited by Acad. V. E. Sokolova . - M .: Rus. Yaz., 1989 .-- S. 304. - 12,500 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00237-0 .
- ↑ Steatocranus casuarius Poll, 1939 Lionhead cichlid
- ↑ Lionhead Cichlid - Steatocranus casuarius
Literature
- Linke, Staeck: Afrikanische Cichliden (Band 1: Buntbarsche aus Westafrika). Tetra-Verlag, Bissendorf 2002, ISBN 3-89745-102-6