robertprice
July 3rd, 2013, 11:54 AM
The Spanish word "Mojarra" translates as Crappie, but is applied to many species of Central and South American Cichlids of good size, as the locals don't often distinguish between species. There are dozens of species called Mojarras in various countires in the new World. I first encountered the word while on an NYU livebearer collecting trip to Mexico in 1978. We were surrounded by viilage children in some remote areas, and they pointed and screamed "Mojarra" and "Champicon" whenver we netted up cichlids and tadpoles. I've never been able to track down the dialect that uses "Champicon," however my Spanish not being the best, I did make the unfortunate mistake of ordering a Cocktail de Champicon (instead of Caramones) at a good local restuarant and my co-worker had to apologize for me.