[Jason_S]

Species Name: Amphilophus lyonsi

Common Name: None that I know of

Size: ~8" for females and ~10" for males, though under optimal conditions they might grow slightly larger

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: 55 gallons though 75 would be much better

Native Location: Central America, Coto River in Costa Rica and Dupi River in Panama

Temperature: 72-80F. This species is very tolerant of a fairly wide range in temp provided extremes are avoided.

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. 4-6". The female will guard the eggs/fry while the male will guard the surrounding area.

Gender Differences: Males will grow larger than females and will grow larger nuchal humps. Males will also likely have longer extensions on their dorsal and anal fins.

Aggression: Territorial but not overly aggressive. Not nearly as aggressive as the closely related A. trimaculatum. Probably more in the class of a Jack Dempsey or Green Terror.

Notes: If you are into flowerhorns but don't want such a large and mean fish you should definitely check out A. lyonsi. This species stays smaller than and is more colorful than the trimac and is not nearly as aggressive as either the trimac or flowerhorn.