[Jason_S]

Species Name: Amphilophus citrinellum

Common Name: Midas Cichlid

Profile Credit: Jason_S
Picture Credit: AquaMojo

Size: ~10-11" for females and ~12-14" for males ***note: these sizes are for pure specimens of the species. The common Red Devil x Midas hybrids found in the hobby will grow much larger. I've seen pictures of males at ~16".

pH: ~7.0 to 7.8. This species is very tolerant and provided you properly acclimate them, they will accept a wider range of ph.

Minimum Recommended Tank Size: 75 gallons, though a pair will do much better in a 125 gallon

Native Location: Central America, primarily in lakes of Nicaragua

Temperature: 72-80F. This species is very tolerant of a fairly wide range in temp provided extremes are avoided. It is important to note that the fish's metabolism will increase at higher temperatures meaning they will grow slightly faster and become more aggressive/territorial at higher temps.

Diet: Omnivore. In the aquarium, this species should be provided with a varied diet of pellets, food sticks and live/frozen/freeze dried foods.

Breeding: A pair will form at approx. 5-7". The female will guard the eggs/fry while the male will guard the surrounding area. Once paired, this fish will dilligently guard the eggs/fry and can injure or kill any fish that gets too close to the nesting area.

Gender Differences: Males will grow larger than females and will grow larger nuchal humps. It is not uncommon for females to develop a nuchal hump as well.

Aggression: A very aggressive and territorial fish. Tankmates should be chosen very carefully and only added in tanks at least 6' long.

Notes: There is also a striped variant of A. citrinellum, but this variant is still somewhat rare in the common market but they can be ordered from breeders such as Jeff Rapps. In the wild, probably close to 90% of the wild population of the species are actually striped and not orange or red. All juveniles of this species will start out striped with virtually no coloration. They will start to color up anywhere from 2-4". This fish will go through many color changes throughout its life cycle.

The 'Red Devils' and 'Midas' cichlids available in the common market are hybrids of A. citrinellum and A. labiatum. Too much cross breeding and in-breeding has led to pure specimens being virtually non-existent. In order to acquire a pure specimen of either species, you'd have to buy from a reputable breeder or importer. Pure specimens of A. labiatum will grow smaller than A. citrinellum. The snout will be more elongated and the mouth will look like a 'V" when viewed from above. Also, the lips of a pure A. labiatum should be very large/puffy. A pure A. citrinellum will have a taller, thicker body and grow larger than A. labiatum. The snout will be very short and the mouth will appear flat when viewed from above. A. citrinellum will also typically grow a larger nuchal hump than A. labiatum. The fish pictured was bought at a pet store and is a Red Devil/Midas hybrid.

Also, this species is one member of the Red Devil Complex. The other species that make up this group are Amphilophus labiatum (Red Devil) and Amphilophus zaliosum (Arrow cichlid). These 3 species have always been the accepted members of this complex, but species such as Amphilophus hogaboomorus and Amphilophus amarillo could also belong in the 'complex' as well as they are also very closely related species.

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•  redmidas.jpg (39.5K)
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