I've mostly been a fan of the large Central American species. But I have kept a few of the small New World species over the years.
Cryptoheros cutteri
Cryptoheros sajica
More mature sajica
Neetroplus nematopus
Amazing at what size these fish will spawn at. Look at the size of the new free swimming fry compared to the parent.
'Cichlasoma' oblongus
spawning
The following fish I received from a friend of mine in Florida. He described the adults as different than his nanoluteus breeders. He said the adults were darker colored and higher bodied than his nanoluteus. He is good friends with Don Conkel and cherry picked them out of a wild import Don brought in from Panama. Don later saw my friend's adults and didn't know what species they were, but he wanted them back. After talking with my friend, I thought the fish he was working with were the rare Cryptoheros altoflavus. I sent him a copy of the scientific description of altoflavus and he agreed. I later shared these photos with a well known cichlid collecter who was after altoflavus. He thought the fish I was keeping were a strain of nanoluteus that are not in the hobby. Whether or not these were altoflavus I don't know. The fish pictured are long gone and my friend is no longer working with them either.
Cryptoheros cutteri
Cryptoheros sajica
More mature sajica
Neetroplus nematopus
Amazing at what size these fish will spawn at. Look at the size of the new free swimming fry compared to the parent.
'Cichlasoma' oblongus
spawning
The following fish I received from a friend of mine in Florida. He described the adults as different than his nanoluteus breeders. He said the adults were darker colored and higher bodied than his nanoluteus. He is good friends with Don Conkel and cherry picked them out of a wild import Don brought in from Panama. Don later saw my friend's adults and didn't know what species they were, but he wanted them back. After talking with my friend, I thought the fish he was working with were the rare Cryptoheros altoflavus. I sent him a copy of the scientific description of altoflavus and he agreed. I later shared these photos with a well known cichlid collecter who was after altoflavus. He thought the fish I was keeping were a strain of nanoluteus that are not in the hobby. Whether or not these were altoflavus I don't know. The fish pictured are long gone and my friend is no longer working with them either.
