Banded dwarf cichlid

The banded dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma bitaeniata, is a small freshwater fish of the cichlid family from South America. It lives in the blackwater river systems of the Amazon Basin in Peru and Brazil, and it has also been collected near Leticia in Colombia. It is a benthopelagic fish, which means it lives both near the bottom and in the open water above it, and it is found in soft, acidic, warm water at about 23 to 25 degrees Celsius. The species was described by Pellegrin in 1936 and was later redescribed by Kullander. The largest male on record measures about 4.6 centimetres in standard length. Like other fish of its genus it spawns in caves, where the eggs are attached to the ceiling and the female tends the clutch, which numbers about 40 to 60 eggs. It is a popular dwarf cichlid among fishkeepers and is traded commercially for aquaria. The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern, assessed in November 2020.