Chameleon cichlid
Australoheros facetus
No photo yet
The chameleon cichlid (chanchito) comes from the Río de la Plata basin and coastal rivers of southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, from creeks, rivers, swamps and lakes. An opportunistic omnivore, it eats detritus, plants and small animals. It tolerates cold water. Its colour changes a great deal, hence the name. The pair spawns on a stone or log and tends the eggs and fry together. It has been introduced to the Iberian Peninsula and Chile.
- Scientific name
- Australoheros facetus
- Family
- Cichlidae
Fact sheet
General
- Water
- Freshwater
- Group
- Fish
Taxonomy
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Order
- Cichliformes
- Synonyms
- Chromis facetus, Chromys oblonga, Cichlasoma facetum, Herichthys facetum, Heros acaroides, Heros autochthon, Heros jenynsii
Origin
- Native region
- América do Sul
Water
- Temperature
- 25–30 °C
- pH
- 6.5–7
- General hardness (GH)
- 5–12 °dGH
Size and lifespan
- Adult size
- 19.3 cm
- Lifespan
- 10 years
Behavior
- Swimming level
- Middle
- Diet
- Carnivore
Reproduction
- Breeding strategy
- Substrate or cave spawner
Conservation and trade
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
Spotted wrong data on this page? Let us know