Jaguar
Parachromis managuensis

The Jaguar cichlid is native to Central America where it can be found in lakes, ponds and springs in Nicaragua, Honduras and Nicaragua. Today, the Jaguar cichlid has been introduced by man to a majority of the other Central American countries and established populations are known from El Salvador, Guatemala and Panama. The Jaguar cichlid has also been introduced to the United States, Mexico, Cuba and Singapore. In Spanish speaking regions the Jaguar cichlid is known as Guapote tigre. Another commonly used name in English is Aztec Cichlid.

The Jaguar cichlid is a top predator and can travel at a great speed. Nearly all cichlids go through a colour change when they get mature, and this fish is no exception. Young Jaguar cichlids are a dull silver with spots running along the body. As it matures, it's dullness is even greater, until suddenly, as it becomes sexually mature, things change. Drab blotches become darker and darker, eventually turning black. The common name 'Jaguar cichlid' comes from all the dark spots like on the jaguar cat. These spots are less extreme in females. One endearing feature is its lower lip, which often reveals two to four quite small, but prominent, incisor teeth.

Although this fish is a predator, it isn't actually as aggressive (usually) as its size and mean looks would make you think. It will live in a big tank with other large cichlids, but sometimes will not tolerate other cichlids that are similar in colour to the jaguar. However, any fish that is small enough to fit into its mouth, should definitely not be kept in the same aquarium with the Jaguar cichlid.

Keeping this fish in good health is quite easy. A sufficiently large aquarium is essential; as a guide, it should be about five times the length of the fish. Plenty of rock and caves and low lighting will help this fish to settle down and feel at home. Although its natural food is live fish, the jaguar can soon learn to take prepared food, such as prawns or raw fish along with pellet foods. Sexing the Jaguar cichlid is quite easy, once it has attained a total length of about five inches or more.

At this stage, males become very aggressive towards other fish that they feel are a threat. Females are far less colourful and if fed well, are much plumper. Jaguar cichlids spawn in caves in the wild, but will settle for a flat rock in the aquarium. The female lays about 2000-3000 eggs and the parents protect them. The eggs hatch after three days and the fry are free swimming five days after that. At this point, the aquarist must cull the fry dramatically if any specimens are to grow at a proper rate and attain their full adult size.

The Jaguar cichlid has for instance been successfully kept in the same aquarium as Silver dollars, Convict cichlids and Plecos. Some Jaguar cichlids are however too aggressive to be kept with any other fishes and must be given their own aquarium. You should also keep in mind that Jaguar cichlids are highly aggressive during the breeding period, and a spawning couple should therefore always be kept in their own aquarium or in an aquarium that has been divided by a net or glass. A breeding couple will not hesitate to attack fish that is much larger than them.

The scientific name for the Jaguar cichlid is Parachromis managuense, but you might also encounter the name Parapetenia managuense when you read about this species. The Jaguar cichlid belongs to a subfamily named Cichlasomatinae in the cichlid family Cichlidae. Just like all the other cichlids it is a ray-finned fish found in the class Actinopterygii in the order Perciformes.

The Jaguar is not considered an endangered species in its native region and it is not included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is relatively resilient towards over fishing since its minimum population doubling time is no longer than 1.4 - 4.4 years. The Jaguar cichlid is not only captured for the aquarium trade, it is also an appreciated game and food fish. It is currently being commercially grown in aquacultures.
 
The Jaguar is an active and charming fish with a beautiful look. It can survive up to 15 years in a well kept aquarium. The body is golden or yellow and features dark markings. A fully grown Jaguar cichlid will need a big aquarium since an adult male can grow up to 55 centimetres (1.8 feet) in length. Expecting your male Jaguar cichlid to reach a length of 40 centimetres (1.3 feet) is however more realistic. The heaviest male Jaguar cichlid ever recorded weighed 1,580 g (3.48 lbs). A female Jaguar cichlid will typically be smaller than the males and stay below 30 centimetres (1 foot) in length.

It will prefer a pH between 7.0 and 8.7 since this is the pH value of its native waters. The recommended dH range is 10-15. The water temperature must be quite high in the aquarium; 77 - 97° F (25 - 36° C).

So what is it that make these fish so appealing? primarily, it is their character. The way they look at you around feeding times as if to say "feed the fish, please?" and the fact that they are more of a "pet" than just another fish. They are more intelligent than, say, your average guppy, and can definitely recognize and differentiate between different people. And since they are also passionately devoted to food, Jaguars can be "trained" to even jump from the water to catch food from your hand!