Caquetaia spectabilis

Remarks:  Caquetaia spectabilis, commonly known as the rosy basketmouth or the flowermouth fish, is an incredibly colorful and beloved member of its genus. Young, stressed, and subdominant fish are very muted when it comes to color, mostly being silver or tan in color. Mature fish that have settled into their environment, both males and females, show a vibrant array of colors that look fantastic in the aquarium. The face, belly, and fins get a varying mix of red, orange, yellow, and sometimes pink colors. The warm hues nicely contrast the blanket of iridescent blue scales present on the rest of the body and sometimes the dorsal fin. Dominant males will not only show more intense colors, but also get extensions on the ends of their dorsal, anal, and ventral fins making an already amazing fish all the more beautiful.

  While their adult coloration can help differentiate Caquetaia spectabilis from others of their genus, this is a difficult reference point to use for young, stressed, or subdominant fish. Instead, they can be differentiated from Caquetaia kraussii by looking at the black blotches present on both fish. Caquetaia spectabilis will only have one large blotch in the center of the body and a small blotch at the base of the tail, while Caquetaia kraussii will have both of these blotches along with a second larger blotch just behind the gill plate. Caquetaia spectabilis can be told apart from Caquetaia umbrifera reliably usually only by their size as Caquetaia umbrifera grow far larger.

  The native range of Caquetaia spectabilis encompasses the Amazon, Uatumã, Araguari, Madeira, and Branco rivers across Brazil and Guyana. They inhabit a variety of different habitats anywhere from cool, clear streams to warm, muddy shallows making them very adaptable. No matter the habitat, they typically will be found close to the edges of the bank or shore hiding amongst submerged branches, roots, and vegetation. This reclusive behavior falls in line with Caquetaia spectabilis being an ambush predator, lying in wait for prey to come close enough to be suddenly snatched by their large, protrusible mouth from which they get their common name. Their mouth structure allows them to swallow surprisingly large prey that mostly consists of invertebrates and other fish.

  Within the home aquarium, many keepers have noted that Caquetaia spectabilis vary greatly in temperament depending on the individual fish. Some are shy and avoid conflict within a community setting, others are highly territorial and boisterous. When keeping this species, one should be prepared for either outcome and the possibility of having to move the fish to a different tank even when kept in a species only set up. Fights for territory and dominance amongst Caquetaia spectabilis in the aquarium are almost always to the death so great care should be taken to watch for bullying and serious fighting to prevent severe injuries and deaths. Such outcomes can be avoided by providing plenty of space, lots of hiding spots, and keeping proper numbers. They should either be kept alone, as a breeding pair, or in a group of 6 or more to avoid smaller or less dominant fish being singled out. Caquetaia spectabilis can be kept in a South American cichlid community tank alone, but breeding pairs may become very aggressive toward tankmates so they may require more space or be separated to their own tank. This piscivorous species will swallow anything small enough to fit in its mouth, so tankmates should be at least half the size of the Caquetaia spectabilis with slender-bodied fish needing to be even larger to avoid predation.

  Breeding Caquetaia spectabilis can take some time as they can take up to a year to start showing color and reach spawning age. Two years is the average time for them to reach maximum size. Sexing these cichlids can be challenging since less dominant or young males are very similar in appearance to females. Your best chance of getting a pair of Caquetaia spectabilis would be to get a group of juvenile fish to raise together and let them pair off naturally over time. Being an open substrate spawner but also liking to have cover, it is recommended to have their tank heavily furnished but with at least one section of open sand for them to nest in. Caquetaia spectabilis can lay over 1000 eggs in each brood and both parents take part in caring for their eggs and fry, so once you have an established, well-cared for pair, they can be a very prolific and interesting breeding project.