Pike cichlids are a group of fish from South America which belong to the genus Crenicichla. There are some 90 recognized species of pikes cichlids recognized and a current Crenicichla species list can be found below. These predator fish are quiet popular with cichlid hobbyists who fancy these interesting and beautiful fish.

 

Most Crenicichla or Pikes are wild caught fish which are imported and sold by local pet store, online stores and directly from hobbyists. There are some species of pikes which are spawned in the aquarium and sold but more are imported than they are bred. In the wild most pikes are predators and are known as ambush predators in particular. Essential if they can fit prey in their mouth they will inhale them very quickly.

 

Crenicichla species are available in a broad range of sizes beginning with smaller varieties of pikes which max out at around 4 inches (the dwarf pikes) and there are some that can easily exceed 12 inches. In the wild they are known to eat small fish, insects, worms, larvae and crustaceans. In the aquarium they will accept cichlid pellets, freeze dried or frozen krill or plankton and of course live feeder fish like common goldfish.

 

 

 

 

 

Crenicichla acutirostris Günther, 1862

Crenicichla adspersa Heckel, 1840

Crenicichla albopunctata Pellegrin, 1904

Crenicichla alta C. H. Eigenmann, 1912 (Millet)

Crenicichla anthurus Cope, 1872

Crenicichla brasiliensis (Bloch, 1792)

Crenicichla britskii S. O. Kullander, 1982

Crenicichla cametana Steindachner, 1911

Crenicichla celidochilus Casciotta, 1987

Crenicichla chicha Varella, S. O. Kullander & F. C. T. Lima, 2012

Crenicichla cincta Regan, 1905

Crenicichla compressiceps Ploeg, 1986

Crenicichla coppenamensis Ploeg, 1987

Crenicichla cyanonotus Cope, 1870

Crenicichla cyclostoma Ploeg, 1986

Crenicichla empheres C. A. S. de Lucena, 2007

Crenicichla frenata T. N. Gill, 1858

Crenicichla gaucho C. A. S. de Lucena & S. O. Kullander, 1992

Crenicichla geayi Pellegrin, 1903 (Halfbanded Pike Cichlid)

Crenicichla gillmorlisi S. O. Kullander & C. A. S. de Lucena, 2013

Crenicichla hadrostigma C. A. S. de Lucena, 2007

Crenicichla haroldoi Luengo & Britski, 1974

Crenicichla heckeli Ploeg, 1989

Crenicichla hemera S. O. Kullander, 1990

Crenicichla hu Piáleck, Rican, Casciotta & Almirón, 2010

Crenicichla hummelincki Ploeg, 1991

Crenicichla igara C. A. S. de Lucena & S. O. Kullander, 1992

Crenicichla iguapina S. O. Kullander & C. A. S. de Lucena, 2006

Crenicichla iguassuensis Haseman, 1911

Crenicichla inpa Ploeg, 1991

Crenicichla isbrueckeri Ploeg, 1991

Crenicichla jaguarensis Haseman, 1911

Crenicichla jegui Ploeg, 1986

Crenicichla johanna Heckel, 1840

Crenicichla jupiaensis Britski & Luengo, 1968

Crenicichla jurubi C. A. S. de Lucena & S. O. Kullander, 1992

Crenicichla labrina (Spix & Agassiz, 1831)

Crenicichla lacustris (Castelnau, 1855)

Crenicichla lenticulata Heckel, 1840

Crenicichla lepidota Heckel, 1840 (Pike cichlid)

Crenicichla lucius Cope, 1870

Crenicichla lugubris Heckel, 1840

Crenicichla macrophthalma Heckel, 1840

Crenicichla maculata S. O. Kullander & C. A. S. de Lucena, 2006

Crenicichla mandelburgeri S. O. Kullander, 2009

Crenicichla marmorata Pellegrin, 1904

Crenicichla menezesi Ploeg, 1991

Crenicichla minuano C. A. S. de Lucena & S. O. Kullander, 1992

Crenicichla missioneira C. A. S. de Lucena & S. O. Kullander, 1992

Crenicichla mucuryna R. Ihering (pt), 1914

Crenicichla multispinosa Pellegrin, 1903

Crenicichla nickeriensis Ploeg, 1987

Crenicichla niederleinii (Holmberg, 1891)

Crenicichla notophthalmus Regan, 1913

Crenicichla pellegrini Ploeg, 1991

Crenicichla percna S. O. Kullander, 1991

Crenicichla phaiospilus S. O. Kullander, 1991

Crenicichla prenda C. A. S. de Lucena & S. O. Kullander, 1992

Crenicichla proteus Cope, 1872

Crenicichla punctata R. F. Hensel, 1870

Crenicichla pydanielae Ploeg, 1991

Crenicichla regani Ploeg, 1989

Crenicichla reticulata (Heckel, 1840)

Crenicichla rosemariae S. O. Kullander, 1997

Crenicichla santosi Ploeg, 1991

Crenicichla saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Ringtail Pike Cichlid)

Crenicichla scottii (C. H. Eigenmann, 1907)

Crenicichla sedentaria S. O. Kullander, 1986

Crenicichla semicincta Steindachner, 1892

Crenicichla semifasciata (Heckel, 1840)

Crenicichla sipaliwini Ploeg, 1987

Crenicichla stocki Ploeg, 1991

Crenicichla strigata Günther, 1862

Crenicichla sveni Ploeg, 1991

Crenicichla tendybaguassu C. A. S. de Lucena & S. O. Kullander, 1992

Crenicichla ternetzi Norman, 1926

Crenicichla tesay Casciotta & Almirón, 2009

Crenicichla tigrina Ploeg, J�gu & E. J. G. Ferreira, 1991

Crenicichla tingui S. O. Kullander & C. A. S. de Lucena, 2006

Crenicichla urosema S. O. Kullander, 1990

Crenicichla vaillanti Pellegrin, 1903

Crenicichla virgatula Ploeg, 1991

Crenicichla vittata Heckel, 1840

Crenicichla wallacii Regan, 1905

Crenicichla yaha Casciotta, Almirón & Gómez, 2006

Crenicichla ypo Casciotta, Almirón, Piáleck, Gómez & Rican, 2010

Crenicichla zebrina Montaña, López-Fernández & Taphorn, 2008