Laetacara araguaiae

Overview

Laetacara araguaiae is a small Brazilian cichlid formerly kept under the provisional label Laetacara sp. 'Buckelkopf'. Color and pattern vary between some populations, so a single color form should not define the identity of every fish.

Distribution & habitat

Records involve the Tapajós, Xingu, and Tocantins systems. The type locality lies near the Verde River, north of São Miguel do Araguaia in Goiás, within the Araguaia drainage. That river also supplies the species name.

Breeding

Eggs are deposited on a substrate or other fixed surface, and both parents participate in caring for the brood. This is substrate spawning; mouthbrooding by other cichlids should not be assumed for this species.

Notes

Useful identification features include seven or eight soft dorsal-fin rays, no dark dorsal-base spot, a dark spot at the tail base, and cycloid scales on the sides of the head. Compared with some relatives, it has a shallower head and shorter snout. The scales along the middle of the flank also lack an individual dark dot at each edge.

Fine scale, fin-ray, and skeletal characters contribute to identification. A color difference in one photograph is not enough to establish a separate species. The former Buckelkopf label can help trace older aquarium accounts, provided their identity is checked.