Amatitlania nigrofasciatus
(Günther, 1867)

The Convict Cichlid
Synonyms: Archocentrus nigrofasciatum, Cryptoheros nigrofasciatum

Above: A pink convict with fry. Photo by Sam 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- nigro= black (Greek), fasciatus= striped (Greek).

Intro:

The Convict Cichlid is a very common fish in the hobby due to their availability and excellent parental  behavior. The Convict Cichlid is a classic. It gets its name because of its color. The first Convicts in the U.S. were gray with black stripes, like a criminal in a convict suite. This fish was first typed by Günther in 1867.

There has been much debate about this fish and where it stands taxonomically speaking. With the Schmitter-Soto paper that came out in 2008, Convicts were given their own genera, Amatitlania, composed of the four species and one undescribed species listed below:

• Amatitlania coatepeque
• Amatitlania kanna
• Amatitlania nigrofasciatus
• Amatitlania siquia
• Amatitlania sp. "honduran red point"
  
  

Convicts also occur in a few line bred aquarium colors.

• Classic– gray with black stripes
• Gold– a gray fish with black stripes and a gold stomach
• Pink– a pink colored fish with a orange gold stomach (pictured above)
• Longfin– a longfin version of the fish
• Calico or Panda– a pink Convict with black spots

Above: The standard form of Convict Cichlids. Male on right, female on left. Photo by Rick Borstein.

*Note*– The pink Convict is not an albino, as is usually thought. It is amelanistic.

Distribution:

This fish is from multiple streams in Honduras.

Size, Maturity, and Sexual Dimorphism:

Size: Males- 6 inches, Females- 4 inches
Maturity: 1.5 inches
Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger and may have longer fins. Males also get a more rounded head.

Care:

Small Convicts can be put in a ten gallon tank for grow out or for breeding when small, but should be moved to a larger tank when they get larger. Convicts are aggressive, so be careful.

Diet:

Convicts are omnivorous and will eat anything. Typical aquarium flakes and pellets work well.

Breeding:

This is an easy fish to breed. Convicts are substrate spawners, so give them a cave or a flower pot to spawn in. This fish will protect its fry ferociously, and keep larger fish at-bay.

Fry hatch about three days post spawn and by eight days are free swimming. They grow fast and are easy to raise.

Conclusion:

Convicts are great fish. They are dirt cheap and easy to find. Although if you're an accomplished fish breeder your friends may make fun of you, you should still keep this fish just to see its parental care! This is a great beginner's fish if you are just getting into cichlids.

References:

• Schmitter-Soto, J.J., 2007. A Systematic Revision of the Genus Archocentrus (Perciformes:Cichlidae), with the Description of Two New Genera and Six New Species. Zootaxa 1603: 1-76.