Blood parrot cichlid

The blood parrot is a cichlid hybrid developed in Taiwan in the 1980s, with a rounded body, a small mouth that barely closes, and orange or red colour. It does not exist in the wild. It is calmer than its parents, but the deformed mouth makes eating hard: it needs sinking food in small pieces. Pairs spawn and guard eggs, but males are almost always sterile. Some varieties are artificially dyed or tattooed, a practice that harms the fish.

Cross

Amphilophus citrinellus × Vieja melanurus

Family

Cichlidae