Sam Borstein's Cichlid Page

Amatitlania sp. "honduran red point"

The Honduran Red Poit
Synonyms: Archocentrus sp. "honduran red point", Cryptoheros sp. "honduran red point"

Amatitlania sp. "honduran red point"
Above: A Honduran Red Point in breeding color. Photo by Rick Borstein.

Meaning of Name:

Genus- Amate= A kind of paper created from a tree that is abundant at the type locality, Nahuatl= city of the original type location (Spanish).
Species- "honduran red point"= they are from Honduras and have some red scales on the abdomen.

Intro:

Amatitlania sp. "honduran red point" is a rather new fish in the hobby. Scientists are torn between whether this is a new species or a form of Amatitlania nigrofasciatum. I believe it is a new species. This Convict type with brilliant hues in its fins is a stunning cichlid. This is no ordinary convict type. Here is an article I wrote about this species for the GCCA March 2005 Publication.

This fish was originally collected by Rusty Wessel on a collecting trip.

Distribution:

This fish is from multiple streams in Honduras.

Size, Maturity, and Sexual Dimorphism:

Size: Males- 4 inches, Females- 3 inches
Maturity: 2 inches
Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger and may have longer fins. Males also get a more rounded head.

Care:

This is a relatively peaceful species for a Convict type. I kept mine in a 20 gallon tank with no problems. Do give the fish caves to make them feel more comfortable.

Diet:

I fed my Honduran Red Points a variety of food items. They were not picky at all. Feed meaty foods with some occasional veggie flakes or other foods with fiber.

Breeding:

Honduran Red Points are relatively easy to breed. The fish take a while to settle down. When I gave my breeding group of four to my Father, it took them around a month to settle down. For this reason I believe this species will feel more secure in a species tank, but will do fine in a community tank.

This species is very different than a convict when breeding. First of all, I believe that Honduran Red Points prefer cave spawning. I've seen them lay eggs on glass and rocks, but they seem to choose an enclosed area in the most of the situations I've witnessed. Mine bred in a enclosed area, where I could barely see the eggs. Although the fish had an excellent pair bond like convict cichlids, they were not aggressive towards each other. The amazing thing was the four times this fish spawned they only laid around 40-50 eggs compared to a convict whose first spawns are 200 or more.  Any more than 50 eggs is considered a huge spawn for a Honduran Red Point.

Conclusion:

Amatitlania sp. "honduran red point" is making its way around the hobby. This fish is great, so if you see it around or like Convict types, pick it up. This is a great fish. It was fun to see its difference in behavior compared to some other Convict type.

References: