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No federal permit to keep

Marakely

Paratilapia polleni

Fishes › Cichlids (Cichliformes) › Cichlidae (Cichlids)

Paratilapia polleni is a medium-sized cichlid endemic to Madagascar.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Advanced

FamilyCichlids

Adult lengthup to 11 in

WaterFreshwater

HabitatLives in freshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 42 in long and 21 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 11.0 in / 28 cm).
Water: Freshwater.
Temperature: 75–82°F (range recorded for this species).
Hardness: 0–10 dGH.
Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
Availability: Mostly kept by public aquariums; private keeping is uncommon.

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 × 18 in (roughly 54 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 63–82 °F, pH 6.5–8, 8–25 dGH.
Behaviour: temperament peaceful.
Difficulty: Easy (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Setup: “The aquarium should contain plenty of hiding places.”
Diet: “It is a piscivore in nature but there is no need to feed live fish in aquaria, as it accepts dead foods readily.”
Tankmates: “Relatively peaceful with heterospecifics, although it is robust enough to hold its own in territorial disputes.”
Breeding: “Possible but infrequent in aquaria.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

Asian and Malagasy cichlids

Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Coastal India, Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.

Housing & setup

Set salinity by species. Pseudetroplus maculatus can be maintained in freshwater or brackish water and should not be kept in acidic water.

Sources 117 119 164 260

Climate & lighting

Water

75–82°F

Sources 117 119 164 260

Diet

Omnivorous foods; chromides graze algae and biofilm.

Sources 117 119 164 260

Health watch

For Pseudetroplus maculatus, maintain suitable pH, hardness and clean water; freshwater maintenance is acceptable.

Sources 117 119 164 260

Understanding the animal

About this animal

It is also a popular fish for display at public aquaria. It is sometimes referred to by the common names starry-night cichlid, polleni cichlid, and black diamond cichlid, while marakely (black fish) is one of its native names.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Paratilapia polleni” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

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 rice paddies. Stays near the bottom. Recorded as having been or being farmed in rice fields.
Water it lives in	Freshwater, 75–82 °F (24–28 °C), pH 7, hardness 10 dH.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: nesters, maternal parental care.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 75–82 °F.
Parents guard eggs or young, so expect territorial behavior when breeding.

FishBase species summary: Paratilapia polleni

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 87°F (up to 90°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 58°F (down to 53°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	70–79°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	72–81% on average (driest month about 69%)
Rainfall	about 1974 mm a year

Measured at 22 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

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	Paratilapia polleni is a medium-sized cichlid endemic to Madagascar. It is also a popular fish for display at public aquaria. It is sometimes referred to by the common names starry-night cichlid, polleni cichlid, and black diamond cichlid, while marakely (black fish) is one of its native names. This species is probably the only known member of its genus, as its current congener, P. toddi, from the African mainland, doubtfully belongs to this genus. — 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
Behavior	In the wild, P. polleni is a very adaptable cichlid. It can be found at altitudes up to 1500 m with water temperatures of 12°C and in hot springs which can reach 40°C. It inhabits a number of rivers and associated streams in northern Madagascar, including the environs of the town of Andapa, where most individuals exported for the aquarium trade in recent years were collected. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Appearance and size	Maximum length 28.0 cm tl male/unsexed. — FishBase
Biology	Recorded as having been or being farmed in rice fields. — FishBase

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Adult length

Average of sources11in

FishBase 16411

Seriously Fish species profiles 16711

Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

Water temperature

Average of sources69–82°F

FishBase 16475–82

Seriously Fish species profiles 16763–82

Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.

pH

Reported6.5–8

Seriously Fish species profiles 1676.5–8

Water hardness

Reported8–25dGH

Seriously Fish species profiles 1678–25

Minimum tank footprint

Reported47in

Seriously Fish species profiles 16747

Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 18 in (about 54 US gallons).

Veterinary & husbandry research

Monogeneans on exotic Indian freshwater fish. 8. Co-translocation of Cichlidogyrus tilapiae (Monogenea, Dactylogyridae) with pindani Chindongo socolofi (Cichliformes, Cichlidae): first report of this parasite genus in India within aquarium trade facilities Tripathi A et al., Parasite (Paris, France) 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

Federal legal snapshot

No federal permit to keep

No federal law singles out this species for private keepers. State and local rules still apply.

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

Has a Seriously Fish aquarium species profile
FishBase records it in the aquarium trade (Aquarium=public aquariums; AquariumFishII=based mainly on capture)
18 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

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.
Seriously Fish — Pseudetroplus maculatus Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
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.