Wolf cichlid (Parachromis dovii)

Common Name:

Wolf cichlid.

Other Names:

Dow's cichlid, Rainbow bass.

Scientific Name:

Parachromis dovii.

Family:

Cichlidae.

Class:

Central American.

Distribution:

Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua.

Size:

Mature male dovii reach sizes of up too 28 inches,while females reach roughly 15 inches.

Diet:

These fish are opportunistic piscivores and enjoy soft rayed fish such as live bearers and goldfish. Hikari gold pellets, krill and fish meat are great meals for these fish.

Water Temperature:

74-84 degrees Fahrenheit (23-28 degrees Centigrade).

Water Chemistry:

7.0-8.0 ph, medium hardness.

Life Span:

15+ years.

Minimum recommended tank size:

Single specimen should be kept in a 180g. Pairs should be kept in 180g with divider close by, and with tank mates a 265g is necessary. Pairs should be kept alone.

Nomenclature:

Dovii pronounced Doe-vee-eye, was given its name after its founder Dow, but there is no W in the latin language so the v was put in its place.The dovii belongs to the genus Parachromis which describes the central American guapotes. Before this they were listed under cichlasoma. Also a lot of confusion concerning the Parapetenia genus have come up and this was found written by Dr. Loisellei in 1980:

"The genus Parachromis is an assemblage of medium-sized to very large Heroine cichlid species characterized by large, obliquely placed, more or less strongly protractile jaws. Regan (1905), then considering these species as part of the Cichlasoma subgroup Parapetenia, recognized a gradation of specialization with regard to the elaboration of the enlarged pseudocanines teeth in the anterior portion of both jaws. In the most advanced forms, the anteriormost pair of pseudocanines in the upper jaw are greatly enlarged, the posterior two pairs decreasing progressively in size. In the lower jaw, the pattern is reversed, producing a highly efficient mechanism for seizing and holding the small fish upon which these cichlids prey. Regan himself apparently felt that his initial definition was a bit too broad and subsequently re-assigned some nominal Parapetenia to other subgenera (1907) a trend continued by Eigenmann (1924), who moved the three representatives of the group from northwestern South America to the subgenus Astateros. The genus Parachromis as presently understood comprises mainly the more specialized piscivores originally placed in Parapetenia by Regan."

Description:

The dovii is the definition of all that is cichlid. This fish is absolutely belligerent and lets nothing stand in its way. Fully mature male dovii reach sizes of up too 28 inches of pure aquatic monster while females are roughly 15 inches. The male dovii is considered one of the 3 most aggressive cichlids on the planet by many hobbyists. Like all guapotes the dovii has several black blotches in the mid lateral section that start out as lines and fragment into blotches upon maturity. They have a greenish white background with purple sheen especially around the head region, with black speckles across the body and green speckles around the face. As like all guapotes the dovii is equipped with pseudocanines and isn't afraid to use them. A mature male is extremely intolerant of conspecifics meaning other guapotes. Basically if you are keeping a male dovii in a tank with a male managuense, there will be many problems. All guapotes are much more tolerant of other species. Tank mates of these fish should be large tough cichlids that aren't other guapotes, or tinfoil barbs, silver dollars, but you must make sure they can't be swallowed or fit into the dovii's mouth. Typically though if you have a rough male Dovii which is common case scenario, potential tank mates may not last long, and the male may need to be kept alone, but regardless of the males temperament, once you have a pair, no tank mates should be present. Dovii are just like other cichlids in that they like to rearrange tank decorations, but being the case that the dovii reaches such incredible size, some decorations may not be possible to have. Such as non secure large rocks, which could collapse after a few butts from the male and cause catastrophe by crushing its mate or itself, or worse yet, breaking the glass on a tank as large as needed to house just one of these fish. Also males tend to break or damage filter intake tubes and heaters, so a custom-fencing job with egg crates or plexiglass with holes drilled for water flow may need to be done prior to filling the tank.

Sexing:

Sexing the dovii is increasingly difficult the younger the specimen. Once mature the male is more brilliantly coloured with purples more intense greens and a sloped forehead. Its best to get a group of 6-8 young juvi's to pair off if planning to breed.

Breeding:

The spawning process of these fish can be very violent once fully mature. Courting of both fish includes head quivering, jaw locking, gill flaring, lunging at one another without physical contact. The pair will clean off a piece of slate supplied in the tank and depending on the females maturity she may lay anywhere from 500-3000 eggs with the male following up to fertilize them. As with most cichlids the female takes on the duty of fanning the eggs and the male hovers over the perimeter keeping a watchful eye for predators will ambush anything that gets too close. The eggs will hatch after about 3 days and the young will be fed organic matter sifted out of the substrate. They become free swimming 4-7 day's after hatching and are now able to be fed baby brine, crushed flake, cyclops, and daphnia. Placing your hands in the tank after fry are free swimming isn't a good idea if you have a fully-grown male. It will hurt should he decide to teach you a lesson about trespassing and bites your finger or forearm. Dividers may be needed when doing maintenance unless the fish trusts you. Dividers are an absolute must for these fish after young are free swimming as the male's aggression is typically nothing short of insanity at this point.

Miscellaneous:

The dovii is a gaming fish in Nicaragua and Costa Rica and is called "rainbow bass" in the sport. Most adult wild males have huge slopes in their foreheads with some actually producing a nuchal hump, which is uncommon in guapotes. This is by no means a beginner's fish and should only be kept by experienced large aggressive cichlid keepers.

Photo Credit:

Photos supplied courtesy and ^© Aquamojo