Animalia Life
Crenicichla alta
FAMILY
Cichlidae
TAXONOMY
Crenicichla alta Eigenmann, 1912, Gluck Island, Guyana.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Spangled pike cichlid.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Maximum length 6.3 in (16 cm). Elongate, pikelike, with
pointed snout. Lower jaw extends beyond upper. Color grayish
on flanks, with dark stripe running from tip of snout to caudal
fin. Abdomen rose colored, cheek yellow. Ocelli on caudal fin
and shoulder; dorsal, anal, and caudal fins have black and white
edges.
DISTRIBUTION
Rio Branco River drainage, Brazil, and Essequibo River
drainage, Guyana.
HABITAT
Rivers and streams.
BEHAVIOR
Juveniles school together, adults are solitary.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds on smaller fishes.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Spawns in caves, which males dig into the bank. Both parents
care for eggs and fry.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Occasionally found in the aquarium trade.