''Amphilophus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
cichlid fishes from
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
, ranging from southern Mexico to
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well-known from the
aquarium trade. However, studies led by
Oldřich Říčan in 2008 and 2016 suggested that several species within ''Amphilophus'' should be moved to the genus ''
Astatheros
''Astatheros macracanthus'', the blackthroat cichlid, is a species of cichlid freshwater fish from southern Mexico and northern Central America. It is the only recognized species in the genus ''Astatheros'', but it was originally described in '' ...
''.
Species proposed to be moved to ''Astatheros'' in 2008 were ''A. alfari'', ''A. altifrons'', ''A. bussingi'', ''A. diquis'', ''A. longimanus'', ''A. macracanthus'' (which would be the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...
for ''Astatheros''), ''A. margaritifer'', ''A. rhytisma'', ''A. robertsoni'' and ''A. rostratus''.
[ Further genetic studies led Říčan to put ''A. macracanthus'' in ''Astatheros'', but to put ''A. alfari'', ''A. altifrons'', ''A. bussingi'', ''A. diquis'', ''A. longimanus'', ''A. rhytisma'', ''A. robertsoni'' and ''A. rostratus'' within the genus '']Cribroheros
''Cribroheros'' is a genus of cichlid found in Middle America (Americas), Middle America. These freshwater fish are distributed over most of Middle America, from western Panama to southern Mexico, on both Atlantic and Pacific slopes. Depending o ...
''.[ Říčan's study suggests that the ''Astatheros'' species are more closely related to the ]Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...
and rainbow cichlid
'' Herotilapia multispinosa'' (previously: ''Archocentrus multispinosus'') also known as the rainbow cichlid is a Central American freshwater fish of the cichlid family. It is found on the Atlantic slope of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica fro ...
than to the remaining ''Amphilophus'' species.[
Several species from this genus are ]endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to the small Lake Apoyo (6 species) and Lake Xiloá (4 species) in Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
, and are believed to be the result of sympatric speciation.
Species
According to FishBase, there are currently 16 recognized species in this genus, listed below.[ According to ]Catalog of Fishes
Catalog of Fishes is a comprehensive on-line database and reference work on the scientific names of fish species and genera. It is global in its scope and is hosted by the California Academy of Sciences. It has been compiled and is continuously u ...
, ''Amphilophus erythraeus'' is a valid species (considered a synonym of ''A. labiatus'' by FishBase), ''Amphilophus margaritifer'' is an invalid species, and ''Amphilophus'' includes two additional species, '' Amphilophus istlanus'' and '' Amphilophus trimaculatus'' (both these are placed in '' Cichlasoma'' by FishBase).nDNA
Nuclear DNA (nDNA), or nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid, is the DNA contained within each cell nucleus of a eukaryotic organism. It encodes for the majority of the genome in eukaryotes, with mitochondrial DNA and plastid DNA coding for the rest. I ...
places it in ''Amphilophus'', but mDNA places it in ''Mayaheros
''Mayaheros'' is a genus of cichlid fish that is native to Mexico and northern Central America. This genus has a disjunct distribution, with the ''M. urophthalmus'' group being found in the Atlantic drainages of southeastern Mexico (southern Vera ...
''; ''istlanus'' is likely the result of hybrid speciation
Hybrid speciation is a form of speciation where hybridization between two different species leads to a new species, reproductively isolated from the parent species. Previously, reproductive isolation between two species and their parents was thou ...
involving ''A. trimaculatus'' and ''Mayaheros beani''.[
* '']Amphilophus amarillo
''Amphilophus'' is a genus of cichlid fishes from Central America, ranging from southern Mexico to Panama. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well-known from the aquarium trade. However, studies led by Oldřich ...
'' Stauffer & McKaye, 2002
* ''Amphilophus astorquii
''Amphilophus'' is a genus of cichlid fishes from Central America, ranging from southern Mexico to Panama. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well-known from the aquarium trade. However, studies led by Oldřich ...
'' Stauffer, McCrary & K. E. Black, 2008 (Black midas cichlid)
/ref>
* '' Amphilophus chancho'' Stauffer, McCrary & K. E. Black, 2008Amphilophus globosus
''Amphilophus'' is a genus of cichlid fishes from Central America, ranging from southern Mexico to Panama. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well-known from the aquarium trade. However, studies led by Oldřic ...
'' Geiger, McCrary & Stauffer, 2010
/ref>
* ''Amphilophus hogaboomorum
''Amphilophus'' is a genus of cichlid fishes from Central America, ranging from southern Mexico to Panama. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well-known from the aquarium trade. However, studies led by Oldřich ...
'' ( Carr & Giovannoli, 1950)
* ''Amphilophus labiatus
''Amphilophus labiatus'' is a large cichlid fish endemic to Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua in Central America. It is also known by the common name red devil cichlid, which it shares with another closely related cichlid, '' A. citrinellus''.
De ...
'' ( Günther, 1864) (Red devil)
* '' Amphilophus lyonsi'' ( J. P. Gosse, 1966)
* '' Amphilophus margaritifer'' ( Günther, 1862)
* '' Amphilophus sagittae'' Stauffer & McKaye, 2002
* '' Amphilophus supercilius'' Geiger, McCrary & Stauffer, 2010[Recknagel, H., Kusche, H., Elmer, K.R. & Meyer, A. (2013)]
Two new endemic species in the Midas cichlid species complex from Nicaraguan crater lakes: ''Amphilophus tolteca'' and ''Amphilophus viridis'' (Perciformes, Cichlidae).
''aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 19 (4): 207-224.''
* '' Amphilophus viridis'' Recknagel, Kusche, Elmer & A. Meyer, 2013[
* '' Amphilophus xiloaensis'' Stauffer & McKaye, 2002
* '' Amphilophus zaliosus'' ( Barlow, 1976) (Arrow cichlid)
]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q133911
Heroini
Fish of Central America
Cichlid genera
Taxa named by Louis Agassiz