Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Jaguar Cichlid
Parachromis managuensis (Günther, 1867)
Also called Jaguar guapote, Managuense cichlid, Managua cichlid, Guapote tigre, Aztec cichlid
From Central America: Atlantic slope from the Ulúa River in Honduras through Nicaragua to the Matina River in Costa Rica, mostly in warm, murky lakes with muddy or sandy bottoms.123
At a glance the quick version
Looks how to spot one
Large, powerful predatory cichlid
A big, muscular cichlid with a silvery to golden-green or purplish body covered in dark spots and blotches, like a jaguar's coat, and a dark stripe running back from the eye. Males grow bigger and carry long, pointed fin tips.32
Personality what they are like
A confident, territorial predator that sees small fish as food; only for experienced keepers with a very large aquarium.21
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Strong and active, and it needs plenty of room to swim and patrol its territory.2
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Strong filtration, turning the water over four to five times an hour, with frequent water changes.2
Home where they are happiest
A minimum of about 120 x 38 cm (around 200 litres) for young fish, and far larger for full-grown adults; rocks, wood and caves to mark territories. Water about 23 to 25 C is suggested for aquariums (FishBase lists 25 to 36 C in the wild), pH roughly 6.0 to 8.7, hardness around 6 to 18 dGH.21
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Mainly carnivorous: large pellets plus frozen fish, shrimp and other meaty foods.21
Company who they like around
Pairs raise their young together and guard the fry for several weeks; usually kept alone or as a pair.21
The story where it all began
Günther described the jaguar cichlid in 1867, naming it after Lake Managua in Nicaragua, where the type specimen came from. In its homeland it is valued both as a food fish and a sport fish, and it is a well-known aquarium species for big tanks.13
Fun facts for the dinner table
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed February 2020)1
- Taxonomy
- Described by Günther in 1867 as Heros managuensis; also placed in Cichlasoma, Herichthys and Nandopsis3
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Jaguar Cichlid. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Feedingevery day
- Water changeAbout 30 to 50% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Filter rinseevery 2 weeks
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Parachromis managuensis fishbase.seused for taxonomy, range, size, weight, water, IUCN, uses
- Seriously Fish: Parachromis managuensis seriouslyfish.comused for care, tank size, water, diet, behaviour, breeding
- Wikipedia: Jaguar cichlid en.wikipedia.orgused for names, size, colour, history
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.