robertprice
July 20th, 2013, 11:37 AM
The Mayan Cichlid, Cichlasoma urophthamus, is a far ranging lentic species found In Eastern Mexico, Belize, and the Atlantic slopes of Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. It has been introduced to Southern Florida and Singapore. It inhabits shallow marshes, swamps, mangrove swamps, small streams, lakes, sinkholes, ditches rivulets and estuaries. It is among the world's most temperature tolerant fresh water fish, and is comfortable from 59 to 102 degrees. It can also tolerate full salt water and likes somewhat brachish water. The fish is variable in size, shape and color, although all are roughly oval. It ranges from 10 to 18 inches, and the record size is over 3 feet. The are almost monotypic, but males are larger with pointier dorsal fins.
The color is variable, but the ground color varies from olive green to sandy beige, to gray to bronze. There are 7 to 8 body bars behind the nape, which can very vague, reduced to few posterior splotches, but prominent bright green in the spring and summer breeding season. The last bar forms a prominent blue or silver ringed black ocellus on the caudal penduncle. In breeding season the bars become more pronounced and are often yellow or green and the 3rd and 4th may extend up to the dorsal fin. The ventral areas become very red or coral or rose colored from the bottom of the gill cover to the tail. The tail and unpaired fins often have dark orange highlights obn their rear ends. The fins are fairly rounded, but a bit pointier in males.
This fish is very philopatric and aggressively protects its territory. They are monagomous, and both sexes will defend territory, eggs and fry. They lay adherent eggs on muddy bottom subtrate stones. The several hundred eggs are strongly adherent, and the fry have 3 mucous glands to secure themselves to the bottom. They are good parents. In cativity, they ned a 100 gallon tank, and some can be kept with similarly large, aggressive cichlids. They really hate plants, and have been known to dig up potted plants. They dig a fair amount.
This is one of about 10 fish whom a majority of taxonomists have left in Cichlasoma. For photos see "Images of Cichlasoma urophthalmus."
The color is variable, but the ground color varies from olive green to sandy beige, to gray to bronze. There are 7 to 8 body bars behind the nape, which can very vague, reduced to few posterior splotches, but prominent bright green in the spring and summer breeding season. The last bar forms a prominent blue or silver ringed black ocellus on the caudal penduncle. In breeding season the bars become more pronounced and are often yellow or green and the 3rd and 4th may extend up to the dorsal fin. The ventral areas become very red or coral or rose colored from the bottom of the gill cover to the tail. The tail and unpaired fins often have dark orange highlights obn their rear ends. The fins are fairly rounded, but a bit pointier in males.
This fish is very philopatric and aggressively protects its territory. They are monagomous, and both sexes will defend territory, eggs and fry. They lay adherent eggs on muddy bottom subtrate stones. The several hundred eggs are strongly adherent, and the fry have 3 mucous glands to secure themselves to the bottom. They are good parents. In cativity, they ned a 100 gallon tank, and some can be kept with similarly large, aggressive cichlids. They really hate plants, and have been known to dig up potted plants. They dig a fair amount.
This is one of about 10 fish whom a majority of taxonomists have left in Cichlasoma. For photos see "Images of Cichlasoma urophthalmus."