Wolf Cichlid
Parachromis Dovii

Synonyms: Cichlasoma dovii, Herichthys dovii, Heros dovii

Common Names: Wolf Cichlid

Family: Cichlidae

Species Type: Cichlids

Size: Males 28” Females 15”

Life span: If kept healthy 15+ years

Originates From: Central America in the Aguan and Yeguare rivers of Honduras, Moin and Bebedero rivers of Costa Rica.

Minimum tank size: 200g.

Water Region: All

Temperature: 70F - 95F

pH: [/b]6.5 - 7.5

Diet: Carnivore. In the wild the dovii feeds on smaller fish and earthworms. In the home aquarium the dovii can eat high quality cichlid pellets and frozen blood worms. You can also give the dovii earthworms and crickets as a special treat.

Temperament: The Dovii is extremely aggressive. A adult dovii will usually dominate any tank no matter what the occupants. The dovii should only be kept with other large, aggressive cichlids and even then in a very large tank with many distinct territories.

Description: The Dovii is the quintessential at representating all that is cichlid. The dovii is absolutely belligerent and will let nothing stand in its way. The male dovii can reach up to 28 inches in length and will have a temper to match wile the female Dovii will reach a mere 15 inches in length. I have had several discussions with hobbyists about the Dovii and if its one thing they can agree on its that the dovii is in the top 3 of most aggressive cichlids on the planet. The Dovii has several black blotches on its mid section that start out as lines and upon maturity they fragment into blotches. The dovii have a greenish white background with a purple shine around the head area, with black speckles across the body and green speckles around the face. The dovii are extremely intolerant of conspecifics. This means that if you have a male dovii and a male managuense in the same tank there is going to be many problems. It would be like watching the Ali frasher fight but with fish instead of people.

Sexing: Sexing the Dovii is difficult at a young age. Once the male has matured he will have a sloped forehead and is brilliantly colored with intense greens and purples. If your planning on breeding the Dovii the best way to insure a pair is to get 6 to 8 young juveniles and let them pair off. I cant stress this enough if you are planning on breeding the dovii please make sure you have a large enough tank to house the pair with a lot of hiding places for the female to take refuge from the male.

Breeding: Breeding the Dovii is not difficult, It’s finding a pair that can be the hard part. When breeding the dovii many hiding places are needed for the female as she will be chased and bit constantly by the male until she is either killed or they become a pair. The female will lay her eggs on a large flat rock in the middle of the tank and can generally produce an enormous amount of eggs somewhere between 500-3000. The eggs will hatch in 2-3 days and will feed on organic matter that is sifted out of the substrate. After 4-7 days of hatching the fry will become free swimming and can be fed baby brine shrimp and crushed flakes. A little advice if you have a full size male in the tank do not stick your hand in once the fry are free swimming. He might try and teach you a lesson and bite your finger or even forearm. Dividers are a must when the fry become free swimming as the aggression of the male is nothing short of insanity at this point.


Photo Courtesy balton777