[uNGu]™ Fish : Cichlasoma Managuense - Jaguar Cichlid

Jaguar Cichlid

Image courtesy of The Gooch

 

Quick Stats

Scientific Name: Nandopis Managuense, Nandopis Managuensis, Cichlasoma Managuense, Parachromis Managuensis
Distribution: Central America – Honduras to Costa Rica, Lake Managua, Lake Nicaragua
Size: Males to 20", females to 12 to 15"
Common Names: Jaguar Cichlid, Jaguar Guapote, Aztec Cichlid, Tiger Guapote, Managuense
Temperature: 77 to 88 degrees F (25 to 31 degrees C)
pH: 7-8

(spawning pair) Image courtesy of Oscar_Andy

General Characteristics

A beautiful but highly predatory cichlid, Jaguar's are all muscle , teeth and bad temper when full grown. Docile, quiet, sometime even shy when juveniles, maturity brings out the true nature of this stunning fish. With dramatic black spots on a pale, iridescent background, it is easy to see one of the reasons this fish gets its most common name. The other reason is the hunting practices of this large predator. Stealthy and quiet, sneaking up behind its prey then lunging forward to engulf its meal whole in its huge protractile mouth, this fish hunts much like its feline namesake.
When young, the Jaguar's distinctive pattern of black spots is somewhat mottled and indistinct. Once males reach maturity at around 5", this pattern develops into a pattern of large black spots along the lateral line, with smaller spots covering the rest of its body. Females patterning tends to stay similar to juvenile coloration throughout their life. There is also a Gold Morph Jaguar available that has the same black pattern on a pale gold background. Gold Morph Jaguar's are still quite uncommon, and it can be hard to differentiate between them and a regular Jaguar until the fish reach a decent size.

(spawning pair) Image courtesy of Oscar_Andy Jaguar's are not in any way, shape or form a suitable fish for a community tank. While young, they can be raised with other large cichlids such as Oscar's, Jack Dempsey's and Green Terror's, but as they approach maturity, they will soon take over your tank and start eliminating tankmates. They are another fish who have a habit of extending their territory beyond the walls of their tank, so don't be at all surprised if you get charged for simply passing by on the way to the refrigerator. Jaguars are not considered "tank-busters" for nothing and it is wise to set up your Jaguar tank away from high traffic areas of the house. 180 gallons of water and one highly annoyed fish are not what anyone wants to have spilled all over their floor.

Aquarium Set Up

Given the size that a male Jaguar can reach, you can understand why a large aquarium is needed for these fish. The minimum size for a single fish is 180 gallons, and much larger is needed if you are trying to keep a pair, something in the range of 300 gallons or larger. The Jaguar's natural habitat is the lakes and wide river basins of Central America and tank decoration should take this into consideration. The substrate should be sand or extremely fine gravel as this is the closest to their natural environment. Large, long-leafed plants are also a good addition, but they will be uprooted on a regular basis, so many people prefer to use plastic plants to cut down on costs. Jaguars like to "lurk" and having plenty of plants allows them to do this. Large rocks and pieces of driftwood are also good decorations, but they should be kept to a minimum to allow for swimming or "lurking" room. Leaning a large rock up against a tank wall or including a large piece of pipe somewhere in the tank will give your Jaguar a place to sit and survey his or her territory in safety, another favorite pastime. Anything added to a Jaguar tank should be well secured, these are large fish and can easily knock over decorations with little effort.
Good filtration is essential for Jaguar's, much as it is with all large, messy cichlids. Poor water conditions will mean that your Jaguar will not attain its full potential in either growth, coloration or lifespan.

Feeding

Being predatory by nature, in the wild much of a Jaguar's diet is made up of smaller fish, along with large invertebrates, such as freshwater shrimp and crabs. In an aquarium, the live fish portion of the diet can be replaced by items such as portions of the beefheart recipe and shrimp. Both are high in protein and will give your Jaguar all it needs to be happy and healthy. If you are persistent from an early age, Jaguar's can also be convinced to eat large sized, good quality pellets designed for predatory fish. These are useful to provide a little variation in your fish's diet. When young, things such as frozen krill, bloodworms, brine shrimp and earthworms are all eaten with great relish. You will find, however, as your fish grows, less and less attention will be paid to these smaller food items, and this is the time to switch to larger portions.

(spawning pair) Image courtesy of Oscar_Andy

Compatibility

Jaguar's are predators and as such generally do not mix and play well with others. As juveniles, they can be raised with other medium to large cichlids, as they tend to be relatively docile when young. This changes dramatically when maturity approaches and by around 5 to 6", you will need to find your Jaguar a home all of its own. Any fish small enough to fit into its mouth will be considered food and anything large enough not to fit into its mouth will be considered a threat and dealt with appropriately. This applies to almost all fish, including large armored catfish. The happiest Jaguar is one that doesn't have to share its space.
The size difference between males and females can make keeping a pair a little on the tricky side, but it can be accomplished when a little thought it put into tank decoration. Most aggression between a pair will be shown at spawning time, often when the male is in the mood, but the female is not. Providing her with a cave to retreat to that the male cannot enter or dividing the tank should fix this problem

Breeding

Jaguar's are cave spawners in the wild, but will happily settle for a large, flat rock in an aquarium. Eggs are laid after the rock has been cleaned to the pairs satisfaction, and both parents will guard the eggs ferociously until hatching takes place in around 3 to 5 days. Jaguars are highly protective parents and are quite capable of doing considerable damage to anyone foolish enough to disturb their brood. This protection continues after the eggs have hatched and will often increase the more mobile the fry become. As up to 5000 eggs can be laid at one time, the tank can become somewhat crowded reasonably quickly, so a grow-out tank of a good size, 55 to 75 gallons will be required if you'd like to have a good survival rate.
The other problem that can sometimes result from spawning is the size difference I mentioned earlier between the males and females. This can result in aggression problems when it comes to spawning time, as the male is capable of doing considerable damage to the female if she is not receptive to breeding. This is one reason that such a large tank is required for a breeding pair, as often the only way to spawn these fish is to divide the tank to prevent conflict. With a divided tank, you need to make sure that each fish has enough space to stay healthy and something around 300 gallons is the best option.
The Jaguar was the first really large cichlid that I came into contact with after starting up in this hobby and they have remained as one of my favorites ever since. I met my first Jaguar in a display tank at a pet shop a few hour drive from me and was totally captivated by this enormous male sitting at the back of the tank, lordly watching over all in his domain. I was amazed by the intelligence I could see in this fish's eyes and the "I'm watching you, so don't try anything" look that he directed to anyone who came to look at him. For anyone on the lookout for a large bruiser of a fish, the Jaguar must be a contender.