genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
cichlid
Cichlids ()
are a large, diverse, and widespread family of percomorph fish in the family Cichlidae, order Cichliformes. At least 1,760 species have been scientifically described, making it one of the largest vertebrate families, with on ...
fishes from
Central America
Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...
, ranging from southern Mexico to
Panama
Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...
. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well known from the
aquarium
An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...
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
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above spe ...
''. 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 International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, 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 spe ...
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 on ...
''. 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 boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926.
One of the most iconic athl ...
and rainbow cichlid than to the remaining ''Amphilophus'' species.
Several species from this genus are
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...
Lake Xiloá
A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from t ...
(4 species) in
Nicaragua
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
, and are believed to be the result of
sympatric speciation
Sympatric speciation is the evolution of a new species from a surviving Common descent, ancestral species while both continue to inhabit the same geographic region. In evolutionary biology and biogeography, ''sympatric'' and ''sympatry'' are ter ...
.Dittmann, Roesti, Indermaur, Colombo, Gschwind, Keller, Kovac, Barluenga, Muschick, and Salzburger (2012). Depth-dependent abundance of Midas Cichlid fish (''Amphilophus'' spp.) in two Nicaraguan crater lakes. Hydrobiologia 686(1): 277-285.
Species
According to
FishBase
FishBase is a global species database of fish species (specifically finfish). It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web.
, 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 up ...
, ''Amphilophus erythraeus'' is a valid species (considered a
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...
of ''A. labiatus'' by FishBase), ''Amphilophus margaritifer'' is an invalid species, and ''Amphilophus'' includes two additional species, '' Amphilophus istlanus'' and ''
Amphilophus trimaculatus
The three spot cichlid (''Amphilophus trimaculatum''), also known as the trimac or red-eyed cichlid, is a species of cichlid from Mexico and Central America, from the subfamily Cichlasomatinae. It is rarely found as an aquarium fish. Although sti ...
'' (both these are placed in ''
Cichlasoma
''Cichlasoma'' is a genus of freshwater fish in the cichlid family. The genus was previously very large (a wastebasket taxon), including cichlids from North America, including Central America, and South America.
Reclassification and subsequent ...
'' by FishBase). Whereas ''trimaculatus'' belongs in ''Amphilophus'' based on genetics, appearance and behavior, the position of ''istlanus'' is less clear, as
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. It ...
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 tho ...
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 � ...
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 ...
Amphilophus chancho
''Amphilophus chancho'' is a large cichlid fish endemic to Lake Apoyo in Nicaragua.Stauffer JR, Jr., McCrary JK, & Black KE (2008)Three new species of cichlid fishes (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from Lake Apoyo, Nicaragua. PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICA ...
Amphilophus citrinellus
''Amphilophus citrinellus'' is a large cichlid fish endemic to the San Juan River (Nicaragua), San Juan River and adjacent watersheds in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. In the aquarium trade ''A. citrinellus'' is often sold under the trade name of Mida ...
Amphilophus 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 Oldřich ...
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''.
Des ...
Amphilophus supercilius
''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 ...
Elmer
Elmer is a name of Germanic British origin. The given name originated as a surname, a medieval variant of the given name Aylmer, derived from Old English ''æþel'' (noble) and ''mær'' (famous). It was adopted as a given name in the United State ...
Amphilophus trimaculatus
The three spot cichlid (''Amphilophus trimaculatum''), also known as the trimac or red-eyed cichlid, is a species of cichlid from Mexico and Central America, from the subfamily Cichlasomatinae. It is rarely found as an aquarium fish. Although sti ...
Elmer
Elmer is a name of Germanic British origin. The given name originated as a surname, a medieval variant of the given name Aylmer, derived from Old English ''æþel'' (noble) and ''mær'' (famous). It was adopted as a given name in the United State ...