Severum

The Severum is a deep-bodied, disc-shaped cichlid native to slow-moving rivers, flooded forest waters, and tributaries throughout the Amazon basin in South America. It belongs to the genus Heros, a group of large South American cichlids closely related to the more elongated Central American Cichlasoma-type fish, but distinguished by their rounder, taller body profile. Severums are popular aquarium fish valued for their generally calm temperament relative to many other large cichlids, attractive olive-gold coloration with faint vertical banding, and manageable adult size. Several regional color forms and closely related species exist across the wide Amazonian range, and captive breeding has produced additional color varieties, including golden and rotkeil forms.

Severums grow to 15-25 cm and have a distinctively deep, rounded, disc-like body shape. Key identification features include:

• Olive-green to golden-brown base coloration with faint, often broken vertical dark bars
• Red-orange speckling scattered across the face, gill covers, and fin margins
• A tall dorsal fin that extends nearly the entire length of the back, giving a sail-like profile
• A relatively small, blunt head compared to the deep body The banding pattern is most visible in juveniles and can fade or intensify with mood and age in adults. Severums are distinguished from similarly shaped discus by their more elongated body and different fin proportions.

Severums range widely throughout the Amazon basin, inhabiting slow-flowing rivers, oxbow lakes, and seasonally flooded forest waters (varzea) across Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and neighboring countries. They favor warm, soft, often slightly acidic water typically between 25-29°C, with abundant submerged wood, roots, and leaf litter providing shelter and foraging grounds. During seasonal flooding, they move into inundated forest areas rich in food resources before retreating to main river channels and lakes as water levels recede. They are generally found in slower, structurally complex habitats rather than fast open channels.

Severums are relatively peaceful for a large cichlid, though they establish territories and can become more assertive when breeding. They form monogamous pairs that select a flat surface, such as a submerged log or broad leaf, to spawn, with both parents guarding the eggs and subsequently shepherding the free-swimming fry as a group. Their diet in the wild is broadly omnivorous, including aquatic invertebrates, plant material, fruit, and detritus, reflecting the varied food resources available in flooded forest habitats. Severums are generally calmer and more sociable than many other large South American cichlids, often tolerating groups of their own species and compatible tankmates better than more territorial relatives.