Apistogramma hippolytae

By Pet Zone SD Team • October 2026

Overview

Apistogramma hippolytae carries a name that, by its own best reference's admission, doesn't really describe it. Sven Kullander described the species in 1982 and named it for Hippolyta, the legendary queen of the Amazons in Greek mythology — a fitting nod to the Amazon basin species the genus is full of, except that FishBase's own entry notes the name "apparently" has no special significance for this particular cichlid. It's simply a mythological flourish attached to a small, soft-water dwarf cichlid from Brazil's middle Rio Negro drainage, recorded near the mouths of the Urubaxi and Daraã rivers and in Lake Manacapuru.

Taxonomically, Cichlid Room Companion (Cichlidae.com) places hippolytae in the "Steindachneri" species group — the same cluster as this site's own steindachneri, even though the two don't closely resemble each other and aren't a typical identification mix-up in the trade. Published care information for hippolytae is noticeably thinner than for most species on this site; most of what follows traces back to a single detailed breeding account from the Potomac Valley Aquarium Society (PVAS), supplemented by FishBase's taxonomic and habitat data.

Color & Identification

Both sexes run golden amber with a rectangular dark spot above the lateral line. Males add a hint of blue along the lower body and red edging on the dorsal fin; the spawning female turns a brighter yellow, a color shift reported across much of the genus. With no confirmed common or trade name in circulation, sellers typically list it under its scientific name alone — treat any "common name" you see attached to it with some skepticism.

Tank Setup

Detailed aquarium-specific setup notes are limited to the one PVAS breeding account; the guidance below leans on that account plus genus-standard practice.

• Tank size: A 20-gallon tank with plenty of hiding places is recommended for a breeding pair. A 10-gallon can work, but the male needs to come out once fry go free-swimming.
• Décor: Caves, roots, and Java moss — the moss doubles as fry cover and a source of microfauna for first foods. See our tank setup guide for substrate, hardscape, and filtration basics that apply across the genus.
• Water building: The one documented successful spawn used water at pH 5.0, under 4 dGH, and 0 dKH — if your tap water starts at pH 7.0 or higher with medium-or-higher hardness, soften and acidify it first via peat filtration, rainwater, or RO/DI water. See our water parameters guide for building soft, acidic water reliably, and keep water changes close to the tank's existing chemistry rather than swinging it.

Feeding

Live foods bring females into breeding condition faster — whiteworms, grindal worms, tubifex, daphnia, brine shrimp, and mosquito larvae are all reported to work well, with frozen bloodworms as a solid addition. See our general feeding guide for portioning and conditioning diets that apply across the genus.

Temperament & Compatibility

Males are territorial and will charge intruders; females are protective of fry and, in the one detailed account available, pinned the male into a small area of the tank after spawning. If that happens, remove the male — and watch for the same dynamic with any other tankmates sharing the space. As with every species on this site, avoid housing it alongside other Apistogramma, since hybridization and mistaken-identity pairings are easy to miss.

Breeding

Hippolytae is a cave spawner with standard Apistogramma biparental care, not a mouthbrooder — this site documents only two confirmed Apistogramma mouthbrooders, barlowi and megastoma, and hippolytae isn't one of them. Courtship in the PVAS account involved side-by-side flaring of fins and gills, with the female flapping her tail at the male and the male occasionally taking a submissive posture. The pair also engaged in mouth-to-mouth "lip-locking," possibly a tug-of-war or the male steering the female toward the spawning cave — in that account it left the female with permanent scarring on her upper lip, an outcome worth watching for rather than assuming is harmless every time. After spawning, the female guarded the cave entrance while the male patrolled and attacked intruders; fry emerged roughly seven days after spawning. Follow our general breeding guide for the broader conditioning-to-fry-rearing process, and treat this one documented spawn as a useful reference point rather than a guaranteed script.

Sourcing Notes

We found no evidence hippolytae is a retail staple, and the thinness of published care information points to limited specialist or wholesale availability rather than a fish you'll find at a general pet store. Its conservation status is also unresolved between sources — FishBase lists IUCN Least Concern from a 2018 assessment, while Cichlid Room Companion says it hasn't been evaluated by the IUCN at all — so don't lean on either claim too firmly. See our general sourcing guide for questions worth asking before buying an uncommon, thinly-documented species like this one.

Final Thoughts

Hippolytae is a quiet specialist's fish: a small, golden-amber Rio Negro cichlid carrying a grand mythological name that even its own reference sources admit doesn't mean much for the fish itself, backed by exactly one detailed breeding account and a handful of conflicting data points on size and conservation status. If you want a well-documented first apisto, start with cacatuoides instead. If you're drawn to the more obscure, thinly-recorded corners of this genus — the same instinct that makes gephyra interesting — hippolytae is one more quiet rabbit hole worth falling into.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name "Apistogramma hippolytae" mean?

Sven Kullander named the species after Hippolyta, the legendary queen of the Amazons in Greek mythology, when he described it in 1982. The reference site FishBase notes the name "apparently" has no special biological significance for the fish itself — it's a nod to the Amazon basin the species comes from, not a description of any trait. The irony is that hippolytae sits in Cichlid Room Companion's "Steindachneri" species group, the same taxonomic cluster as this site's own A. steindachneri.

How big does Apistogramma hippolytae get?

Sources disagree, and the disagreement runs the wrong way for the genus. FishBase lists a maximum of 3.4cm standard length (about 1.3in) for males or unsexed fish and 5.0cm (about 2in) for females — females listed as the larger sex, which is unusual since male Apistogramma are typically the bigger, longer-finned ones. A separate FishBase figure gives 6.0cm (about 2.4in) total length without stating which sex. We couldn't find a third source to resolve the conflict, so treat hippolytae as a small apisto, likely under 2.4 inches, without leaning on any single number as exact.

What water parameters does Apistogramma hippolytae need?

FishBase's recorded habitat range is broader than what's needed to breed it: pH up to 7.0 and hardness up to 10 dGH, at 73–86°F (23–30°C), though the lower bounds of pH and hardness aren't given. For breeding, a detailed account from the Potomac Valley Aquarium Society (PVAS) kept a successful trio at pH 5.0, under 4 dGH, 0 dKH, and a constant 78°F (25.5°C) — if your tap water sits at pH 7.0 or higher with medium-or-higher hardness, soften and acidify it first with peat filtration, rainwater, or RO water before attempting to breed this species.

Is Apistogramma hippolytae a mouthbrooder or a cave spawner?

A cave spawner with standard Apistogramma biparental care — the female guards the cave and fry while the male patrols the surrounding territory. This site documents only two confirmed Apistogramma mouthbrooders, barlowi and megastoma, and hippolytae isn't one of them.

Is Apistogramma hippolytae common in the aquarium trade, and is it endangered?

It isn't common — published care accounts are thin, and we found no evidence it's a regular retail import, which points to specialist or wholesale-only sourcing. Its conservation status is also unsettled between sources: FishBase lists it as IUCN Least Concern based on a 2018 assessment, while Cichlid Room Companion (Cichlidae.com) states it has not been evaluated by the IUCN at all. Given that conflict, treat any Least Concern claim cautiously rather than as a settled rating.