Looking for info on a seemingly rare fish

[LMOUTHBASS]

I was at my LFS last night and they specialize in Chichlids, they always have incredible fish that you won't normally find easily elsewhere.

I came across a fish that I'm not familiar with but looks incredible as an adult.

Does anyone have any familiarity with Cichlasoma Ornatus? (Not Ornatum btw as I guess this is a slightly different fish).

My LFS showed me some photos online of what they become and a little bit of info about the species, supposedly its a fish that Jeff Rapps has brought into the US and sold from time to time.

There's not a ton out there on it in a google search and was wondering if anyone has any experience with it?

I'm attaching the best pic I could find online of this fish as it looks spot on to the one I purchased. This looks like a juvenile. From what I can tell they're newer to the hobby, and pretty hard to find as evidenced by the lack of info out there on it. Its a SA Cichlid and I believe they said it was from Argentina out towards the Andes but I'm probably wrong on that. Just looking to gather any info people might have to share.

* Also, posting this here as there's just not enough traffic over on the Cichlid page - thanks*

 

[duane stuermer]

I picked up some, listed as "wild ornatum" from Wet Spot fish a few years ago. They are seasonally imported due to weather conditions that determine collectability in their natural habitat. I did a little research on rivers they come from and found average temps in the mid 70s, with neutral to hard water, and a fairly intense flow moving west toward the Pacific with head waters beginning high in the Andes.
Mine came in as 1"fry, below, in Feb 2013.
I am aware of an aquarium spawning by Peter Durkin of Michigan.
.
Very aggressive toward each other in a 50 gal, until I added some larger Guianacara

I moved them to a 150 gal early 2014, and by Oct 14 the largest hit about 7"-8"

 

[LMOUTHBASS]

Very nice fish - can see the colors really coming in.

I wonder if that's a slightly different fish than what I got. I read somewhere that the Ornatus is a possible hybrid between the Ornatum and some other species (can't recall which off the top of my head).

You said they're aggressive with each other but generally ok with other Cichlids? Have him with some Eartheaters now in a 130.

 

[duane stuermer]

There is a sister species gephyrum (not a hybrid as far as I know), that occurs in the same general area (west of the Andes, in Columbia and Peru), and seems to be similar and may be confused by collectors as to which is which.
When young they were aggressive, but not so after they put on some size, and never aggressive with other cichlids that I had them with, and to me, the Acarichthys and Guianacara, would be considered very close to Geophagines (eartheaters) .

 

[rufioman]

Gorgeous fish!!! Thanks for the shots.

 

[LMOUTHBASS]

Great pics and thanks for sharing your info! The Guinacara are neat too - have not seen those before.

 

[evil wizard]

Nice pics.