New 🐟 Mercury Safety Guide & Omega-3 Rankings Updated for 2026. View Omega-3 Rankings →

💧 Freshwater 🌡️ Tropical

Rainbow dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma ortegai Britzke, Oliveira & Kullander, 2014
Max Length
5.1 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.3
Depth
-
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
10.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
-

📖 Overview

Occurs along the margin of a small stream tributary to the Ampyiacu River in the municipality of Pebas. The stream is characterized by clear and acid water with pH 6.0, water temperature 26°C, depth of at most 50 cm and bottom substrate mainly composed of sand and leaves, with some clay. Collected together with Apistogramma bitaeniata, Bujurquina peregrinabunda, Crenicichla sp., Cichlasoma amazonarum, Acestrocephalus sp., Astyanax bimaculatus, Characidium sp., Knodus sp., Leporinus sp. aff. friderici, Moenkhausia margitae, Moenkhausia oligolepsis, Pyrrhulina semifasciata, Corydoras fowleri, Ituglanis sp., Rhamdia sp., Gymnotus sp., and Sternopygus macrurus .

Scientific Name
Apistogramma ortegai
Authority
Britzke, Oliveira & Kullander, 2014
Habitat
Freshwater
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
From A
Max Length
5.1 cm
Trophic Level
3.3
Resilience
High
Vulnerability
10.00/100
Salinity
0–0.5 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 6 - 7; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 6 - 7; Vertebrae: 24. Apistogramma ortegai belongs to Apistogramma regani species group, sharing exclusively with A. commbrae (Regan, 1906); A. inconspicua, 1983; and A. linkei, 1985 a tail spot (contiguous caudal spot to bar 7). It can be distinguished from A. commbrae by the absence of vertical stripes on caudal fin (vs. presence); from A. inconspicua by absence of vertical stripes on caudal fin (vs. presence) and by lateral band running into tail spot (vs. lateral band ending in bar 6); from A. linkei by absence of vertical stripes on caudal fin (vs. presence of two vertical stripes posteriorly) and by horizontal abdominal stripes (vs. vertical abdominal stripes). It can be diagnosed from other species with similar general counts, body shape and similar basic melanic color pattern, with exception of the contiguous caudal spot to bar 7: from A. eunotus by having 7-8 predorsal scales (vs. 9-12), 6-8 prepelvic scales (vs. 9-13) and presence of abdominal stripes (vs. absence); from A. cruzi by having 6-8 prepelvic scales (vs. 9-13); from A. aguarico by its dorsal-fin lappets short (vs. five first dorsal-fin lappets elongated) .: fusiform / normal.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Rainbow dwarf cichlid is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 👄 Mouth Brooder 🛡️ Egg Guarder
Spawning Season
spring
Spawn Location
Substrate
Fertilization
External

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical South America: Ampyiacu River in the Peruvian Amazon basin.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
💧 Freshwater
Trophic Level
3.3±0.4

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.0182 × L2.99 (TL)
Max TL
5.1cm
Dorsal Spines
16
Dorsal Rays
7
Anal Spines
3
Anal Rays
7
Vertebrae
24

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
0–0.5ppt

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
High
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
10.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.3
Predator
Body Shape
From A
Climate Zone
Tropical
Described By
Britzke, Oliveira & Kullander, 2014

👥 Community & Contribute

Aquareap Community Observations
0 Observations logged on Aquareap

No observations yet - be the first to log one!

View all observations for Rainbow dwarf cichlid ↗
Suggest an Edit

Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.

Link to a scientific paper, FishBase, or other authoritative source
Report an Issue

Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.