FreshwaterBrackish
Jewelfish
Rubricatochromis bimaculatus
Cichlidae, Pseudocrenilabrinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 13.6 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 72 liters
- Diet
- Missing
Know what is missing? Suggest it in the app.
Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
NativeIntroduced
Lives wild in Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, and 9 more countries.
Introduced to Australia, Canada, and United States.
More about the species
Description
Occurs in mud-bottomed and sand-bottomed canals; some distance inland from the coast, associated with areas of intact or recently disturbed forest cover. Considered the true 'jewel fish' of aquarists, this species is also used as an experimental animal by physiologists and ethologists. Attains a maximum of 12 cm in captivity. Aquarium keeping: aggressive; in pairs; minimum aquarium size 100 cm.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Hemichromis bimaculatus
- Hemichromis cerasogaster
- Hemichromis cristatus
- Hemichromis fugax
- Hemichromis guttatus
- Hemichromis paynei
In other languages
- Juvelciklide
- Rød cichlide
- Pilkkutimanttiahven, Punakirjoahven
- African jewelfish, Jewel cichlid, Jewel fish
Articles
All articles
Fish that get along4 min read
Temperament, fin nippers, fish that eat other fish, and fish that need the same water. And what the Harmony mark in the app means.
How to set up an African aquarium5 min read
Two completely different aquariums: forest rivers with soft, brown water, roots and leaves, and Rift Valley lake cichlids in hard, alkaline water with big rock piles.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.