Blue acara
Species of fish / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The blue acara (Andinoacara pulcher) is a colorful freshwater fish in the cichlid family.[2] This fish can be found in various freshwater habitats, ranging from standing water to flowing streams, in Venezuela and Trinidad.[3] They can reach lengths of 16 cm (6.3 in).[3] The scientific species name is indicative to its looks; pulcher meaning "beautiful" in Latin. The blue acara is a common cichlid sold in many aquarium stores, and is sometimes confused with the larger green terror (A. rivulatus).
Blue acara | |
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An "electric blue" morph acara | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cichliformes |
Family: | Cichlidae |
Genus: | Andinoacara |
Species: | A. pulcher |
Binomial name | |
Andinoacara pulcher (T. N. Gill, 1858) | |
Synonyms | |
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The body of the blue acara is stocky and compact with a steel blue-gray coloration. Noticeable horizontal green lines occur on their faces and their blueish-green scales give them a sparkling appearance. They also have long, flowing fins with a hint of orange to the tips.
Blue acaras natively live in a tropical climate and prefer water with a pH of 6.5-8.0, a water hardness of 3-6° dGH, and a water temperature of 22–30 °C (72–86 °F).[4][5]