Apistogramma Pantalone

Datasheet

General Description

The Apistogramma Pantalone, also known as Pantaloon Cichlid (A186), is a peaceful fish that thrives in a community aquarium setting. This species, though sensitive, can be kept in groups and should ideally be housed with small characins, rasboras, and Otocinclus spp. They do not mix well with other Apistogramma species and require specific care due to their sensitive nature.

Aquarium Setup

To create an ideal environment for Apistogramma Pantalone, it is crucial to replicate their natural habitat as closely as possible. Setting up a tank with soft, sandy substrate, wood roots, and branches to form caves and shady spots is recommended. Providing cover with ceramic flowerpots, plastic piping, and dried leaf litter for spawning sites is essential. Additionally, dim lighting, aquatic plants like Microsorum and Cryptocoryne spp., and floating vegetation like Ceratopteris spp. should be included. Opt for gentle filtration systems like air-powered sponge filters to maintain water quality.

Behaviour

Apistogramma Pantalone is known for its peaceful nature, making it suitable for community aquariums. Wild specimens are best kept alone or with small 'dither' fishes such as Nannostomus spp. Their courtship rituals are unique and complex, involving longwinded displays and intricate behaviors not commonly seen in other Apistogramma species.

Feeding and Diet

Being primarily carnivorous, Apistogramma Pantalone feeds on benthic invertebrates in the wild. In captivity, they should be offered a varied diet of live and frozen foods such as Artemia, Daphnia, Moina, and chironomid larvae. This species rarely accepts dried food, and live foods are essential, especially for recent imports.

Reproduction & Dimorphism

Apistogramma Pantalone is a substrate spawner that lays eggs in crevices or cavities. Fry hatch within 36-72 hours and become free-swimming a few days later. As a facultative mouthbrooder, this species may exhibit mouthbrooding behaviors, with the male leading a prolonged courtship process involving unique displays. Sexing adult Pantaloon Cichlids can be challenging, with females showing a white belly and males displaying darker pigmentation, particularly during courtship and breeding phases.

Habitat and Distribution

Found in shallow, hyper-acidic streams with tanned water in the Rio Nanay, Peru, Apistogramma Pantalone inhabits areas heavily forested with leaf litter substrates. Sympatric fishes include Pyrrhulina brevis, Crenuchus spilurus, and other characins. The unique environmental conditions of their habitat have influenced the evolution of behaviors such as facultative mouthbrooding in this species.