• Scientific name: Laetacara dorsigera
• Synonyms:Aequidens dorsiger, Aequidens dorsigera, Astronotus dorsigera, Parvacara dorsigera, Acara dorsiger
• Common name: Redbreast acara
• Group: Cichlids
• Habitat: South America; Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina
• Size: 6-7 cm
• Biotope: Inhabits the upper parts of Rio Madeira and the entire region dominated by the Rio Paraguay and its tributaries. The fish can be found usually in the shallow water among the leaf litter that covering the bottom or around submerged woods.
• Social behavior: A peaceful cichlid, that can be kept in a community tank with small tetras, and dwarf catfishes. They become a little territorial during spawning.
• Diet: Omnivorous; In the nature they feed on algae, organic detritus, small insects, worms, and crustaceans. It will take all kinds of live, frozen and dried foods in the aquarium.
• Breeding: Quite hard
• Tank: Minimum 60 litres.
• Population: 1 pair for 60 litres
• Decoration: Prefers a densely planted aquarium with rocks and roots. Place the root and stones in such a way that shaded hiding places are created. Also place some flat rocks to the tank that the fish can be use as spawning sites.
• Temperature: 20-28 °C
• pH: 5-7.5
• Hardness: 2-15 NK°
• Lifespan: 3-8 years

Description: The body of the Redbreast acara is roundish and distinctly laterally compressed. In comparsion to other small Laetacara, the body is somewhat stouter and fuller and the head is more blunt. The lateral band starts at the rear edge of the eye and ends at midbody. The posterior half of the body to the caudal peduncle is marked with at least 5 characteristically broad, vertical bands. There is usually a distinct stripe between the eyes, and there is often a dark spot edged with blue or white at the base of the dorsal fin. Due to its hardiness and tolerance towards various types of water, Laetacara dorsigera is ideally suited for the beginners.

Definitive differentiation of the sexes is not always possible. Males grow slightly larger than females and develop distinctly longer ventral fins. Females usually have a significantly larger spot on the base of their dorsal fin, a slightly stouter shape, and a more rounded belly. The belly is typically a more intense red than that of males from the same locality. Condition the fish to breed by giving them plenty of live and frozen food. Raise the temperature to around 27-28 °C to trigger spawning. Laetacara dorsigera is an open spawner that usually estabilishes a permanent pair bond. If the pair formed freely from a large group, they rarely change partners. The eggs are usually attached to a solid substrate and cared for by both parents. By this time, the female has developed her intense black and red brood care coloration. The number of the eggs can vary between 200 and 300. Depending on water temperature, the larvae hatch after 40 to 60 hours. The parents often chew the larvae from the egg shells and place them directly into a previously excaveted sand pit. Development of the larvae takes about 10 days, and during that time, the larvae are frequently relocated. The free-swimming fry are very small and can be fed with infusoria and fine powdered foods, but after a couple of weeks, they are large enough to take bine shrimp nauplii. The parents closely tend their offspring for up to 2,5 months. The fry are especially sensitive towards water changes and it is therefore recommendable to perform many tiny water changes instead of a few larger ones. The fish are sexually mature at 4 months.