Orange chromide explained

The orange chromide (Pseudetroplus maculatus ; more commonly Etroplus maculatus) is a species of cichlid fish that is endemic to freshwater and brackish streams, lagoons and estuaries in southern India and Sri Lanka.[1] [2] It is also known as pallathi (Malayalam: പള്ളത്തി) in Malayalam. The species is popular with fishkeeping hobbyists, and is kept frequently in aquariums.[2] [3] The species is part of the family Cichlidae and is included in subfamily Etroplinae. The orange chromide reaches a length of up to 8cm (03inches).

Diet

The species co-occurs throughout its range with the green chromide (Etroplus suratensis). Orange chromides prey on the eggs and larvae of the green chromide and also act as a "cleaner fish" removing parasites from the larger green chromides in a cleaning symbiosis.[2] The species also feeds on zooplankton and algae.

Parental care

Young orange chromides feed on mucous coating of their parents; this is essential for the small fry survival. During the feeding period, the parent fishes' mucous glands increase 34%.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Pethiyagoda, R., Maduwage, K. & Manamendra-Arachchi, K. (2014): Validation of the South Asian cichlid genus Pseudetroplus Bleeker (Pisces: Cichlidae). Zootaxa, 3838 (5): 595–600.
  2. Book: Loiselle, P.V. . The Cichlid Aquarium . 1995 . Tetra Press . Germany . 1-56465-146-0.
  3. Book: Riehl, R.. . Baensch, H.A. . amp . Aquarium Atlas . 1995 . Tetra Press . Germany . 3-88244-050-3.
  4. Book: Gerking. Shelby D.. Feeding Ecology of Fish. Apr 25, 2014. Elsevier. 286. 9781483288529.