Sveni Pike Cichlid (Saxatilia sveni)

A medium-growing Pike Cichlid found throughout the Rio Meta and many of its tributaries in Colombia, this species is found alongside and often misidentified as the common “Belly Crawler” Pike, typically in fast-moving water with rocky substrate. With their relatively moderate adult size and less aggressive nature than some of their close relatives, this species is one of the better Crenicichla for a mixed species community aquarium (of similarly sized fish). Like all members of the genus, they are predatory, feeding on smaller fish and invertebrates in the wild but will typically accept frozen foods and eventually pellets without much difficulty in the aquarium.