Orange chromide facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Orange chromide |
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| Orange chromide from the Bharathapuzha River, India | |
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The orange chromide (Pseudetroplus maculatus) is a small, colorful fish. It belongs to the cichlid family. You can find this fish only in southern India and Sri Lanka. It lives in fresh water and also in "brackish" water. Brackish water is a mix of fresh and salt water, like in rivers near the sea.
This fish is also called pallathi in Malayalam, a language spoken in India. Many people enjoy keeping orange chromides as pets in their aquariums. These fish can grow up to about 8 centimeters (3 inches) long.
What Do Orange Chromides Eat?
Orange chromides share their homes with another fish, the green chromide. Interestingly, orange chromides sometimes eat the eggs and young of the green chromide.
They also act like "cleaner fish" for the larger green chromides. This means they remove tiny parasites from the green chromides' bodies. It's a helpful partnership! Orange chromides also eat tiny water creatures called zooplankton and small water plants like algae.
How Orange Chromides Care for Their Young
Orange chromide parents are very special. Their baby fish, called fry, feed on a slimy coating from their parents' skin. This special "mucus" is super important for the tiny fry to survive and grow.
When the babies are feeding, the parents' bodies make much more of this mucus. Their mucus glands can grow by 34% during this time. This amazing care helps the young fish get the food they need to live.
