Remarks: The starry night cichlid is possibly the most popular of the cichlids native to Madagascar within the hobby. They are known for their rich, black coloration and bright white speckles that looks like the night sky which explains where their common name originates from. This striking coloration is best brought out when this species is kept on a dark substrate under dim lighting. While these fish can be rather shy for a larger cichlid, they still can hold their against most other cichlids. They usually are very peaceful except when spawning during which the pair will claim a rather large territory space. Being piscivorous, despite their typically docile temperament, eat any fish small enough to fit in their mouths.

Starry night cichlids are extremely adaptable in the wild with many different populations inhabiting a wide variety of habitats from cold, high altitude waters, to hot springs, to acidic blackwater pools, to even brackish estuaries. That being said, in captivity they do best in water parameters that are fairly neutral all around. Despite their broad range, starry night cichlids are still considered critically endangered in the wild due to habitat destruction and introduction of invasive species.

There is some debate whether Paratilapia polleni and “P. bleekeri” represent two species or one, based primarily on the size and frequency of the spots. It is saidBleekeritend to be larger and have larger spots thanPolleni. The most recent literature suggests that they both belong to P. polleni, but we have kept the “Bleekeri” name for those who collect the various types.