Apistogramma norberti

By Pet Zone SD Team • October 2026

Overview

Apistogramma norberti is a small Peruvian dwarf cichlid that spent years in the German hobby under an informal name before science gave it one. Wolfgang Staeck formally described the species in 1991, but before that it circulated under the trade name A. sp. "großmaul" (German for "bigmouth") and the DATZ magazine reference code A190 — the same pattern seen elsewhere on this site with megastoma's decade as "Kelleri" and eremnopyge's four competing trade names. It comes from a tightly defined home range: the Río Tahuayo and Río Tamshiyacu drainages, minor Amazon tributaries south of Iquitos in Peru's Loreto Region, where seasonal jungle streams swing sharply in water volume between wet and dry seasons.

Even among apistos, norberti's exact family tree is unsettled. SeriouslyFish notes that it's only tentatively placed in the A. cacatuoides species group — it also shows characteristics belonging to the A. nijsseni group, and aquarium-reference taxonomists haven't fully resolved which cluster it belongs with. That ambiguity is part of what makes it an interesting fish to keep, even if it rarely shows up outside specialist channels.

Color & Identification

Males carry an identifying feature found on no other Apistogramma: a black spot in the soft dorsal fin paired with a rounded caudal fin, a combination that distinguishes norberti from its closest cacatuoides-group relatives at a glance once you know to look for it. Like most apistos, sexual dimorphism is pronounced — males grow larger, carry more color, and extend their fins further than the plainer, smaller females.

Tank Setup

Norberti comes from slow, leaf-littered forest streams, and its tank should reflect that rather than a bare, brightly lit setup.

• Tank size: SeriouslyFish lists a minimum footprint of about 18"×12" (45×30cm), roughly 11 gallons, as workable for a single pair.
• Substrate & décor: Fine sand, leaf litter, and dim lighting to mimic the shaded jungle-stream habitat. Microsorum, Taxiphyllum (Java moss), Cryptocoryne, and Anubias all suit the low-light, soft-water setup this species expects.
• Filtration & flow: Gentle — this species comes from slow-moving or seasonally static water, not fast current.
• Water changes: Keep changes modest, around 10–15% weekly, in a lightly stocked tank; see our water parameters guide for building and holding soft, acidic water reliably.

Feeding

Norberti leans carnivorous, feeding mainly on small benthic invertebrates in the wild. Offer live or frozen Artemia, Daphnia, and bloodworm regularly as the backbone of its diet; most individuals will also take dried foods, with sinking pellets generally accepted better than flakes. See our general feeding guide for conditioning diets that apply across the genus.

Temperament & Compatibility

Temperament varies by origin. Wild-caught norberti tend to do best kept alone or alongside small, calm dither fish such as Nannostomus or Micropoecilia rather than in a mixed community; captive-bred stock, as is often the case across this genus, adapts more readily to community life. Either way, don't house norberti with other Apistogramma species — the standing rule across this entire site. In a smaller tank, a guarding female can turn aggressive enough toward the male that removing him becomes the better option, so plan tank size and escape routes with that in mind.

Breeding

Norberti is a substrate spawner that lays eggs in crevices or cave-like cavities rather than in the open, with the female alone handling egg and fry care. A small cave, upturned pot, or similar sheltered site works as a spawning surface. As with feeding, condition the breeding pair on live and frozen foods beforehand. Because a breeding female can become unusually aggressive toward the male in a confined space, be ready to separate him if the tank is on the smaller end of the recommended range — see our general breeding guide for the broader conditioning-to-fry-rearing process.

Sourcing Notes

Norberti is genuinely hard to find. French aquarium reference FishiPedia calls it "très rare dans le commerce aquariophile" (very rare in the aquarium trade) and points hobbyists toward specialist clubs rather than general retail; German wholesaler Aquarium Glaser likewise stocks it only for the wholesale trade, not as a walk-in retail item. When you do find it offered, ask about collection locality and rearing history — with a species this uncommon, correct identification matters more, not less. See our general sourcing guide for what to ask a seller on an uncommon species.

Final Thoughts

Norberti is a fish for the patient end of the hobby: moderately demanding water chemistry, a still-unresolved place in the genus's family tree, and real scarcity in the trade, all wrapped around a fish with a one-of-a-kind fin marking. If you already keep soft-water apistos like eunotus or hoignei and want something harder to track down with a genuinely unusual backstory, norberti is worth watching for through specialist and wholesale channels rather than a general store shelf.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Apistogramma norberti different from most other Apistogramma species?

Two things. First, its history: before Wolfgang Staeck formally described it in 1991, it circulated in the German hobby as A. sp. "großmaul" ("bigmouth") under the DATZ magazine code A190 — one of several apistos on this site, alongside megastoma's "Kelleri" and eremnopyge's four trade aliases, that spent years in the trade under an informal name before science caught up. Second, its taxonomy is still unsettled: SeriouslyFish notes it's only tentatively placed in the A. cacatuoides species group, since it also shows characters belonging to the A. nijsseni group — aquarium reference sources themselves aren't sure which cluster of relatives it really belongs with. Males also carry a distinguishing combination not seen on any other Apistogramma: a black spot in the soft dorsal fin paired with a rounded (rather than pointed or lyre-shaped) caudal fin.

What water parameters does Apistogramma norberti need?

Soft, acidic water: pH 4.5–6.8 and very soft general hardness, roughly 0–4 dGH, at 75–82°F (24–28°C). SeriouslyFish gives the widest aquarium-tested range (pH 4.5–6.5, 0–3 dGH); FishBase's field data narrows that slightly to pH 5.8–6.8 with dH 0–4. A single wild-collection reading from Aquarium Glaser — pH 5.9, 24°C, 2° KH — sits right in the middle of both ranges, so treat the wider SeriouslyFish figures as the safe aquarium target rather than the single field snapshot.

How big does Apistogramma norberti get?

Sources disagree more than usual here. SeriouslyFish's aquarium-trade reference lists males at 60mm (2.4") standard length and females at 40mm (1.6"). FishBase's ichthyological record instead gives a notably smaller 3.9cm (1.5") SL for males and 3.0cm (1.2") for females — a real discrepancy between two independent sources, not just a unit mismatch, since both are standard length. A French retail source separately lists an even larger 6–8cm, but that figure most likely measures total length rather than standard length and runs well outside both reference sources, so we treat it as the outlier and lean on SeriouslyFish's aquarium-specific figure as the more practical sizing guide for stocking decisions.

Is Apistogramma norberti endangered?

It carries an IUCN Red List status of Data Deficient, assessed 25 April 2014 — meaning there isn't enough population data to classify it as threatened or secure either way. Both FishBase and French aquarium reference FishiPedia agree on this status, which makes norberti one of the more settled conservation-status cases on this site compared to species like iniridae (a confirmed Vulnerable listing) or pertensis (where sources actively disagree on the rating itself).

Where can you buy Apistogramma norberti?

Rarely, and almost always through the wholesale and specialist-breeder trade rather than general retail. FishiPedia describes it as "très rare dans le commerce aquariophile" (very rare in the aquarium trade) and recommends contacting specialist clubs; Aquarium Glaser likewise lists it as a wholesale-only item, not a standard retail stock fish. If you do find it offered, ask about collection locality, since a species this uncommon is also one that's easy to mislabel — see our sourcing guide for what to ask.