Here it is: the cichlid with the probably most interesting mode of feeding from Paraguay! Chaetobranchopsis australis is specialized in feeding small planktic organisms. The up to 12-14 cm long fish swallows water like a vacuum cleaner and sieves the plankton with long gill rakers out of it. Obviously at the time of our importation – last september – the plankton in Paraguay is rather rare, for the fish are more skinny than we like it; but we are sure this has become corrected in the meantime in the fishhouses of our customers.
Chaetobranchopsis belongs to the very few species of cichlid in which the breeding behaviour is absolutely unknown. Aquarium fish have been observed in cleaning stones, so they might be open brooders, but no one knows!
For our customers: the animals have code 634904 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
