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No federal permit to keepJaguar guapote
Parachromis managuensis
Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)
Parachromis managuensis is a large species of cichlid native to freshwater habitats in Central America, where it is found from Honduras to Costa Rica.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 108 in long and 42 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 21.7 in / 55 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 77–97°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 7–8.7.
- Hardness: 10–15 dGH.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 47 × 15 in (roughly 54 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 73–77 °F, pH 6–8, 6–18 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament territorial.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Decorate the aquarium with natural territory boundaries and plenty of rocks, wood and caves as hiding places for the female.”
- Diet: “Almost exclusively carnivorous in nature, preying on smaller fish and aquatic invertebrates.”
- Breeding: “As with a lot of cichlids, Parachromis Managuense will clean a surface chosen for spawning.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Central and South American cichlids
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Rivers and lakes of the Americas. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Size ranges widely, from convicts at 5 in to Parachromis over 20 in; plan tank size for the adult fish.
- Most tolerate neutral, moderately hard water; strong filtration and rock or wood caves.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 75–82°F |
Diet
- Omnivorous cichlid pellets plus vegetables for herbivores (Vieja, Uaru) and meaty foods for predators (Parachromis).
Social life
- Territorial; breeding pairs can clear a whole tank.
Health watch
- Aggression and territorial injuries, especially when breeding; hole-in-the-head in poor water.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
The binomial name refers to Lake Managua in Nicaragua, from which the holotype was obtained. It is a food fish and is also found in the aquarium trade where it is variously known as the jaguar cichlid, managuense cichlid, managua cichlid, guapote tigre, Aztec cichlid, spotted guapote and jaguar guapote.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Parachromis managuensis” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams, lakes. Uses both the bottom and open water. Inhabits lakes, preferring turbid waters and mud bottoms of the highly eutrophic lakes. |
| Ground it lives on | Over sand, mud. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 77–97 °F (25–36 °C), pH 7–8.7, hardness 10–15 dH, depth 3–10 m. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: biparental parental care. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 77–97 °F.
- Use a soft, fine bottom; it lives over fine sediment in the wild.
- Parents guard eggs or young, so expect territorial behavior when breeding.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 90°F (up to 96°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 64°F (down to 55°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 72–80°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 73–81% on average (driest month about 69%) |
| Rainfall | about 1821 mm a year |
Measured at 163 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Parachromis managuensis is a large species of cichlid native to freshwater habitats in Central America, where it is found from Honduras to Costa Rica. The binomial name refers to Lake Managua in Nicaragua, from which the holotype was obtained. It is a food fish and is also found in the aquarium trade where it is variously known as the jaguar cichlid, managuense cichlid, managua cichlid, guapote tigre, Aztec cichlid, spotted guapote and jaguar guapote. In Costa Rica, it is known as the guapote tigre. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | Deposits up to 5,000 eggs on rocks and other hard substrates; both parents guard the eggs and resulting fry. Reported to deposit up to 10,496 eggs. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | P. managuensis is a robust fish with a silvery or golden-green to purple colour, with a darker moss green shade at the dorsum. The sides show a purple iridescence and the belly is whitish or yellowish. A series of several large black dots then run horizontally along the lateral line area. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Adults inhabit lakes, preferring turbid waters and mud bottoms of the highly eutrophic lakes, in springs and ponds over detritus and sand bottom. Commonly found in very warm, oxygen depleted inundation lakes. Highly predaceous, feeding mainly on small fishes and macroinvertebrates (; 44091 ). — FishBase |
| Conservation | This species has been assessed by the IUCN Red List as least-concern species. It occurs in the Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 15 in (about 54 US gallons).
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Early Ontogeny of Cichlids Using Selected Species as Examples Piesiewicz R et al., Animals: an open access journal from MDPI 2024
- Growth of two invasive cichlids (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in a natural thermal water habitat of temperate Central Europe (Lake Hévíz, Hungary) Lente V et al., Biologia futura 2024
- Effect of Magnetic Fields on the Development of the Larvae of the Jaguar Cichlid (Parachromis managuensis, Günther, 1867) and the Green Terror (Andinoacara rivulatus, Günther, 1860) Piesiewicz R et al., Animals: an open access journal from MDPI 2025
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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