Cuban Cichlid (Nandopsis tetracanthus)

The island nation of Cuba is famed for its cigars, its namesake pork sandwich, and its communism, but perhaps it ought to be equally famous for the illustrious cichlid that calls this region home, Nandopsis tetracanthus.

The aptly named Cuban Cichlid is one of just three species left in the formerly diverse genus Nandopsis. Over the years, the nomenclature for the larger cichlids from Central America has been radically changed, such that older aquarium references are all but useless now. It’s only been with more recent genetic and morphological study that the relationships of these fishes has begun to be fully appreciated. In the case of Nandopsis, former members are now scattered in a litany of different groups (e.g. Mesoheros, Australoheros, Herichthys, Mayaheros, Parachromis, Chiapaheros, Chocoheros, Rocio, Trichromis, and Amphilophus), all of which are informally referred to as “guapotes”.

Nandopsis tetracanthus is widespread in Cuba and goes by the name Biajaca there. It occurs in the islands faster flowing streams, vegetated lakes, and into the coastal brackish waters; however, in many places it is reported to have been extirpated by introduced Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus), another salt-tolerant species.

It wasn’t long ago that the Cuban Cichlid was a relative rarity within aquariums, but it has since become widely available from commercial breeders. The species can top a foot in length, and perhaps larger still in the wild, but captive individuals are likely to stay a bit smaller than this. Males attain a greater size and develop filamentous extensions to the dorsal and anal fins. The biggest specimens will also grow a noticeable hump above the head. Females are smaller and tend to retain the juvenile barred coloration, whereas males become mostly white, accented by black around each scale, along with a variety of black markings on the fins and head. Though the black and white colors might seem limiting, this is a stunning fish which needs to be seen to fully appreciate.

Captive care is undemanding, but requires an adequately sized aquarium and robust filtration. Most any food will be accepted, and, if provided with a cave of some sort (often in the form of a flowerpot), a pair will quickly start producing eggs. The fry are similarly undemanding to raise. Tankmates should be chosen with care, though, as this is potentially a quarrelsome species among fishes of a more timid disposition.