Tomocichla sieboldii

A rarely seen Central American Cichlid found along the Pacific slope of Panama and Costa Rica, the Siebold’s Cichlid is a colorful and territorial rheophilic or river dwelling species. Like many of its close relatives in Central America, this species is threatened by habitat degradation and competition from nonnative species. In the aquarium, they are an aggressive, boisterous fish that requires plenty of open swimming space as well as lots of cover. They are sensitive to water quality so frequent large water changes should be considered essential to long term success with this species.