Andinoacara blombergi (Wijkmark, Kullander & Barriga, 2012)

Common Name

• None

Synonym(s)

• Andinoacara blombergi, Wijkmark et al, 2012, original combination
• Andinoacara rivulatus, Schindler et al, 2010, misidentification (part. (Esmeraldas form only))
• Aequidens rivulatus, Eigenmann, 1910, new combination (part (ref. to Acara pulchra, Günther))
• Acara rivulata, Boulenger, 1899, misidentification (part)
• Acara pulchra, Günther, 1862, misidentification (part. (the largest specimen only))
• Chromis rivulata, Günther, 1860, misidentification

Type Locality

Río Esmeraldas drainage, downstream of Alluriquin, Rio Toachi, Ecuador.

Etymology

Named in recognition of the life’s work of explorer, writer, photographer, and filmmaker Rolf Blomberg (1912-1996). (Wijkmark et al, 2012).

Size

Estimated adult size: 8"/20cm

Andinoacara blombergi is not common in the hobby due to the laws surrounding the export/removal of wild life from Ecuador, the laws of the country prohibit these fish from leaving the country.

Feeding

As an omnivorous fish they are generally easy to feed. It is suggested to feed a good quality cichlid stick as staple, and supplement this with regular feeds of live and frozen foods such as earthworms, prawns, mussels, and other such foods.

Vegetable matter, including peas, spinach should also form a good proportion of the diet. High protein foods such as beefheart and other red meats are not advisable.

We feed our fish with Vitalis cichlid pellets, and live foods, including bloodworm, and meal worm.

Compatibility

Unless you are keeping this fish in a large tank (4 feet or more) then it is best they are kept as single fish, or as a mate pair. The older the fish the more aggressive and territorial they become, and will consume any fish small enough to fit in their mouths.

Good tank mates for these fish are other medium cichlids, large characins, such as bleeding heart tetras, and catfish such as corydoras and ancistrus.

These fish are not suitable for a standard community tank.

Notes

This species has recently been described but it has been known for many years, due to sharing similar physical charactistics to Andinoacara stalsbergi it was mixed up with in the Green Terror confusion.

Andinoacara shares the same scale patterns as Andinoacara rivulatus, which adds to the confusion, further more it also has white seams to the dorsal and caudal fin, similar to A. rivulatus. Although, unlike Andinoacara rivulatus the seams are very thin and defined, rather than thick, this is very similar to the white seams of Andinoacara stalsbergi.