Aquatic Life Freshwater

Different names are given to this fish in various LFS eg Black belt (or stripe) cichlid. These names are descriptive of the pattern of the fish. The fish is often confused with other species such as Paratheraps synspilum, particularly when young.

Cichlidae. Subfamily: Cichlasomatinae.

Rio de la Lana, Papaloapan river system, Mexico.

The genus Paratheraps was first described by Werner and Stawikowski in 1987; since its introduction it has been rejected by some mainly on the grounds that it did not comply with the guidelines of ICZN. The name Paratheraps refers to the relationship of this genus (para = Greek, meaning on the side of, alongside) to the genus Theraps.  Fenestratus (from the Latin fenestra) = windowed, having windows, gaps or openings, referring to the speckles of the fish. 

 25 cm SL.

See the discussion of J. M. Artigas Ajas in the Cichlid Room Companion. Willem Heijn has posted a series of photos showing the wide variation in colour and appearance of many of the Paratheraps species.  Paratheraps fenestratus is considered to have three forms, the blue, the normal and the pink (oligomelanic). Juveniles look extremely similar to other Paratheraps species. My own pair have red on their head (reticulated pattern on the opercula), black and blue speckles on the body, yellow and green speckles on the finnage and a black longitudinal stripe (starting from about the middle of the body and ending at the tail). The stripe consists of a series of black blotches which expand and form a line on occasions or become the centre of vertical bars, depending on the mood of the fish. I would suggest to hobbyists wishing to obain a P. fenestratus to have it identified by specialists. Try The Cichlid Room companion.

The fish in the following photos are different morphs of P. fenestratus:

Male from Rio National.

Male from Rio Catemaco.

Pair. 

Pink (oligomelanic) P. Fenestratus (see also photos by Jeff Rapps, male and female). As this form owes its colouration to an absense of melanine the pigmentation of individual fish varies considerably.

In addition to the shape of the genital papilla (rounded in females, triangular in males), the tail of adult males is speckled while the tail of the females has a red trimming.

Atlantic slope of Mexico.  Endemic to Mexico, found mainly in lakes though some populations have migrated to rivers with slowly to moderately flowing waters. Benthopelagic, potamodromous

The fish are reported to prefer neutral pH; in the aquarium they do well in mid-range values 6.5-8.5.

23° C - 30° C.   

Slow to medium water flow, medium hard water.

I would suggest housing this fish with smaller cichlids or non aggressive fish. The fish can be quite boisterous so tank mates who prefer peace and quiet should be avoided. P. fenestratus will not pick a fight with tank mates but it it will display and annoy everybody in the tank by so doing. Having said that, I found fenestratus to be quite timid when it is confronted with clear aggression. It will back off pretty quickly if its opponent will not take seriously its heroics. 

Peaceful central Americans, such as ex-Cichlasoma pearsei or Thorichthys sp. are an ideal choice. Check also the list of sympatric species with P. fenestratus. I am currently keeping a pair of P. fenestratus with ex-Cichlasoma festae and they are getting along just fine; having said that, the fenestratus are bigger than the festae at present so they feel in control just because of their body mass. I would suggest making the P. fenestratus the 'top' fish in the aquarium.

Rocks and wood are essential. The fish needs a cave to call home and this should be as near the bottom of the tank as possible. The cave must allow the fenestratus to have a clear view of the tank while at the same time offering it protection and a feeling of safety. The fish love uprooting or eating plants so unless you are prepared to see your plants turned to salad don't bother putting any in the tank. Be prepared for the fenestratus to re-arrange the tank to make it fit for purpose.

Sand substrate is a must as the fish adores digging. 

My pair have spawned in a 600 lit tank (150cm x 60cm x 68cm - L x W x H) but clearly enjoy the bigger tank they are in now (250cm x 60cm x 68cm - L x W x H). They will spent most of their time near the bottom but will use the mid water zone quite often too. They love swimming and will be constantly on the move. They also love exploring, so the decoration must enable them to move under and over pieces of wood, rocks etc. All in all, P. fenestratus needs a spacious environment to be at its best.

Very intelligent, interactive, playful fish. If put in the right environment they are an absolute pleasure to keep (and watch). They will keep themselves busy when young so an environment that allows them to do so is highly recommended; they calm down as they mature. They are essentially quite timid but have a different view of themselves. As a result they will get easily frustrated by the presence of tank mates who refuse to take them seriously. Once they establish their superiority (in their own mind) they will not harass other fish.

Change of colouration (notably darkening of the body colour) is a sign that the fish is extremely upset; it can also mean it feels unwell. When the fish is well it has a distinctive red head / face with two pale grey lines across the forehead and the different speckles on the body and finnage are clearly visible (I kept the 'blue' variety, which meant blues, greens and yellows - absolutely stunning). 

Pairs bond very well; I have never seen a fight between them. I was really impressed by the behaviour of my female on one occasion the male was upset and subsequently ill.  I introduced in the tank a large catfish; the catfish never bothered with the P. fenestratus but in the mind of the male P. fenestratus the sheer presence of the cat in its tank was an outrage. He used to go near the catfish and tried to make it move, to no avail. Realising that the cat was not taking him seriously made him furious at the beginning, upset later on. The female used to go by his side and physically prompted him to leave the cat and follow her; she would then lead him to their cave. This took place on a daily basis until the catfish left the tank. On a different occasion the male got seriously unwell. The female stayed by his side, displaying to all the fish that would attempt to go near him. When his swimming was getting erratic, she would swim next to him and nudge him on the cheeks to get him straight. She kept looking after him until he recovered.

See My Experience with Paratheraps fenestratus.