Cichlids · Amatitlania

Convict cichlid

Amatitlania nigrofasciata · Pacific and Atlantic slopes, Guatemala to Honduras/El Salvador (SF says to Panama)

Photo: Konstantin Gerasimov, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist

The Convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata) is a freshwater fish from Pacific and Atlantic slopes, Guatemala to Honduras/El Salvador (SF says to Panama), where it lives in stream habitat. Adults reach about 12 cm (4.7 in). Keep it at 24–28 °C (75–82 °F) and pH 6–8, with a gentle current. It is aggressive and does best in a group of 2 or more. It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.

At a glance

Water temperature

24–28 °C 75–82 °F

6–8 neutral water

Adult size ≈

12 cm 4.7 in

Swims ≈

Bottom mostly on the floor and in caves

Keep together

2 or more a shoal feels safe

Current

Gentle a steady gentle flow

Food

Eats most foods

Temperament

Aggressive

Where it comes from

Home water

Pacific and Atlantic slopes, Guatemala to Honduras/El Salvador (SF says to Panama)

Lives in stream habitat.

Shaded: the countries it comes from. Map: Natural Earth.

Convict cichlid

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Cichlids · AmatitlaniaDD

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Convict cichlid

Amatitlania nigrofasciata

Pacific and Atlantic slopes, Guatemala to Honduras/El Salvador (SF says to Panama) · stream

Temperature: 24–28°C
pH: 6–8
Adult size: 5 in · 12 cm
Flow: Gentle
Swims: Bottom
Temperament: Aggressive
Diet: Omnivore
Group: 2+
Status in the wild: Data deficient

Predator. Eats any fish that fits in its mouth.

Scan for the full profile
savethelittlefish.org/species/convict/

Photo: Konstantin Gerasimov, CC BY 4.0

Convict cichlid — **Print it and tape it to the glass.** Visitors can see what lives in the tank, and the QR code on the back opens this page.

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Sources

We name everyone whose work is on this page. Where sources disagree, we show the best one: a scientific paper first, then aquarium references.

Temperature, ph, adult size, swim level, habitat, group size, temperament, diet, home range Seriously Fish: Amatitlania nigrofasciata profile Website
Water flow, behaviour, conservation status, adult size, diet, group size, home range, ph FishBase: Amatitlania nigrofasciata summary Website Says: pH ?–8
Photo Konstantin Gerasimov, CC BY 4.0 iNaturalist
Map of rivers and countries Natural Earth public domain map data Map

Know a good source for this fish? Tell us

Tank mates

Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with moderate flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.

Good together

Keep apart

Aggressive: convict cichlid, it

Auratus Demasoni
Small enough to be eaten

Cardinal tetra Celestial pearl danio Cherry shrimp Chili rasbora Ember tetra
Aggressive: convict cichlid, it and will eat the convict cichlid

Dovii

In the hobby

Where to find it

No store or breeder we know of has it right now.

Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.

Tanks with this fish

No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.

From keepers

Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.

Questions keepers ask

How big does a Convict cichlid get?

About 12 cm (4.7 in) as an adult.

What temperature does a Convict cichlid need?

24–28 °C (75–82 °F).

What pH does a Convict cichlid need?

pH 6–8.

Does a Convict cichlid need to be kept in a group?

Yes. Keep at least 2.

Is the Convict cichlid aggressive?

Yes. It is aggressive and needs careful planning.

What does a Convict cichlid eat?

It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.

Where does the Convict cichlid come from?

Pacific and Atlantic slopes, Guatemala to Honduras/El Salvador (SF says to Panama).

What fish can live with a Convict cichlid?

Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Zebra (L046), Amano shrimp, Boeseman's rainbowfish, Bolivian ram.

All the numbers

Temperature min (°C)	24	Sourced
Temperature max (°C)	28	Sourced
pH min	6	Sourced
pH max	8	Sourced
Adult size (cm)	12	Estimate
Flow	Moderate	Sourced
Swim level (top / middle / bottom)	bottom	Estimate
Habitat	stream	Estimate
Smallest happy group	2	Sourced
Temperament	Aggressive	Sourced
Diet	Omnivore	Sourced
Behaviour tags	eats_small_fish	Sourced

Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.