New photos - October 2005

Those photos show the first C. pearsei pair which has formed in my tank. The male is about 24 cm (fish in the foreground) while the female a bit smaller at 21 cm TL (shown in the background, hovering over the sand pit). They have chosen the left part of the tank as their home and the male spends a lot of time digging in there. After removing a lot of sand, it has created a pit large enough for both of them, which it tests at regular intervals by laying down to see if he can fit in it. We hope that soon all this digging activity will change to spawning. Click on the images to get the high resolution pictures. Photo: G.R.Reclos/MCH

New photos - September 2005

Photo of the Month - September 2005

New photos - April 2005

Despite its more gentle nature, C. pearsei will not give an inch of its vital space no matter who the challenger is. In the right photo the male Cichlasoma pearsei (23 cm+) defends its territory against the male Paratilapia sp. "Andapa" male (20 cm+). Despite some jaw locks and a lot of splashing (as is evident on the glass of the tank), no fish is wounded and, as time passes by, such incidents become more and more rare. Each fish will spend most of its time within the boundaries of its own territory in a mutual "stand off" situation. When in common ground, they will just ignore each other. Photos by G.J.Reclos /MCH

New photos - February 2005

Click on the images to get the high resolution pictures. Photo: G.R.Reclos/MCH

New photos - November 2004

Just one year after acquiring this specimen (AFC Meeting, Vichy, 2003) it has grown from 4 to 20 cm. Click on the images to get the high resolution pictures. Photo: G.R.Reclos/MCH

Photos of adult fish taken during the Belgian cichlid show by G.J.Reclos/MCH

Two juvenile C. pearsei growing in my tanks at the moment. It may take some time but in the end they will get their final coloration (and size).

Three months later four of the fish (the two largest and the two smallest from this group) were transferred into the 360 liter tank along with a juvenile male P.managuensis and a grown up female. The change in color was dramatic as you can see in the photos above. The last photo (bottom right) shows one of the supposedly females while the others show the dominant male. Click on the images to get the high resolution pictures.

Cichlasoma pearsei, photos by MCH (G.Reclos)