The Gold Severum is a selectively bred captive colour morph of Heros efasciatus, one of the most widespread Severum cichlids in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Through selective breeding, the dark lateral banding typical of the wild form has been reduced or eliminated, and the base coloration has been enhanced to a rich, uniform golden-yellow, often with reddish-orange highlights on the face and belly of mature males.
Heros efasciatus inhabits a wide range of Amazonian habitats including slow-moving rivers, floodplains, and flooded forest edges, typically in warm, slightly acidic to neutral soft water. The Gold Severum, while a captive creation, shares the same robust constitution and adaptable nature of its wild counterpart.
Gold Severums are large, deep-bodied disc-shaped cichlids reaching up to 20 cm. They are predominantly peaceful, though like most cichlids they become somewhat territorial when spawning. They are far less aggressive than species like Oscars or Green Terrors and can be kept in large community aquariums with other robust, similarly-sized species.
One characteristic worth noting is the Gold Severum's tendency to nip at very fine-leaved plants and browse on algae. Robust plant species fare better in tanks with this species. They are biparental open spawners and breed readily in the home aquarium when well-conditioned.
