Orange chromide
Species of fish endemic to Southern India and Sri Lanka
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The orange chromide (Pseudetroplus maculatus) is a species of cichlid endemic to freshwater and brackish streams, lagoons and estuaries of southern India and Sri Lanka.[3][4][5] It is popular with fishkeeping hobbyists,[4][6] and reaches a length of up to 8 cm (3.1 in).[5]
| Orange chromide | |
|---|---|
| |
| Orange chromide from the Bharathapuzha River, India | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Subfamily: | Etroplinae |
| Genus: | Pseudetroplus Bleeker, 1862 |
| Species: | P. maculatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Pseudetroplus maculatus (Bloch, 1795) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Names
The specific epithet of this species, maculatus, is Latin for "spotted", and is a reference to the large black spot on the upper flanks. In Malayalam, it is known as pallathi (പള്ളത്തി).
Diet
This species co-occurs throughout its range with the green chromide (Etroplus suratensis) and preys on the eggs and larvae of the latter. Additionally, it removes parasites from the larger green chromide; this is an example of cleaning symbiosis.[4] This species also feeds on zooplankton and algae.[5]
Parental care
Young orange chromides feed on the mucous coating of their parents; this is essential for their survival. During the feeding period, the parent fishes' mucous gland secretions increase by 34%.[7]
