Species Profile: Paretroplus menarambo

Common Name:   Pin stripe Damba

Description:   Robust and boisterous yet striking primitive cichlid species from Madagascar. Requires very large aquariums as the adults can reach well over a foot in size. They possess speciality forward jaws with with large teeth for picking snails out of crevices within their environment as well as a pharyngeal dental Plate with large moliform ‘teeth’ for crushing snail shells which makes up the bulk of their diet in the wild. Almost extinct in the wild due to multiple factors. Erosion due to slash and burn agriculture as well as the introduction of prolific non endemics.

Category:   Cichlids

Global Region:   Africa

Distribution:   Madagascar

CARES Status:   Critically Endangered