Looking for a fun, little cichlid that exhibits all of the traits you would expect from a cichlid species? Look no further than the convict.
So named for its black and white color, especially the vertical black stripes, this bi-parental Central American species is full of personality. Aggressive, temperamental, active, prolific, you name it. If any cichlid species characterizes the Cichlidae family of fish, it’s this one.
Officially described way back in 1867, the species has undergone a number of scientific name changes, eight to be precise. The current name Amatitlania nigrofasciata hails from 2007. However, the common name “convict” may be used for four separate species within the Amatitlania genus – A. nigrofasciata, A. nanolutea, A. siquia, and A. kanna. Regardless, most online sites and print sources will use A. nigrofasciata when discussing convicts.
Several months ago, I posted that this might be the best cichlids to keep. But do so with caution. I won’t go into the species profile here. You can find an abundance of information about them elsewhere. What I will say is convicts are not the best beginner species, if you’re just getting started. They are rather pugnacious, they are not friendly to any other tankmates when they’re breeding, and they produce a healthy number of offspring with the proper set-up. The purpose of this post is to highlight a recent video of the species in its natural habitat.
With footage from multiple rivers, tributaries, and streams in Central America, the video profiles, and differentiates, three of the aforementioned species in their natural habitat. For a hobbyist wanting to emulate the convict’s environment in their aquariums, this is a great video. Also noteworthy about the video is the footage of convict territorial/fry defense. As mentioned, convicts are temperamental and quite vicious defending their fry and spawning sites.
Lots of informative resources are available about this fish, and the species usually isn’t hard to find at stores or online. Though quite popular, and rightfully so, anecdotal evidence suggests that it is no longer one of the most popular species in the hobby. Nonetheless, if your LFS carries cichlids, it will probably have this one.