Orange chromide

The orange chromide (Pseudetroplus maculatus ; more commonly Etroplus maculatus) is a species of cichlid fish that is endemic to freshwater and brackish streams, lagoons and estuaries in southern India and Sri Lanka.^[3][4][5] It is also known as pallathi (Malayalam: പള്ളത്തി) in Malayalam. The species is popular with fishkeeping hobbyists, and is kept frequently in aquariums.^[4][6] The species is part of the family Cichlidae and is included in subfamily Etroplinae. The orange chromide reaches a length of up to 8 cm (3.1 in).^[5]

Orange chromide
Orange chromide from the Bharathapuzha River, India
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
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]
Etroplus maculatus (Bloch, 1795) Chaetodon maculatus Bloch, 1795 Etroplus coruchi Cuvier, 1830 Glyphisodon kakaitsel Lacepède, 1802 Glyphisodon koruschi Cuvier, 1830

Diet

The selectively bred bright orange-yellow variant often seen in the aquarium trade

The species co-occurs throughout its range with the green chromide (Etroplus suratensis). Orange chromides prey on the eggs and larvae of the green chromide and also act as a "cleaner fish" removing parasites from the larger green chromides in a cleaning symbiosis.^[4] The species also feeds on zooplankton and algae.^[5]

Parental care

Young orange chromides feed on mucous coating of their parents; this is essential for the small fry survival. During the feeding period, the parent fishes' mucous glands increase 34%.^[7]