''Caquetaia'' is a small genus of

cichlid Cichlids are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, the Labroidei, along with the wrasses ( Labridae), in the order Perciformes, but molecular studies have contradicted this ...

fishes from tropical South America. The genus currently contains three species. ''Caquetaia spp.'' are ambush predators that predominantly feed on invertebrates. Seasonal fluctuations in water level have been shown to contribute to ''Caquetaia spp.'' consuming a larger variety of invertebrates, especially when the water level is low during dry seasons. ''Caquetaia'' are known for their highly protrusible jaws, an adaptation hypothesized to improve their ability to capture prey by enhancing overall ram velocity.

Species

There are currently three recognized species in this genus: * '' Caquetaia kraussii'' (

Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner describ ...

, 1878) * '' Caquetaia myersi'' ( L. P. Schultz, 1944) * '' Caquetaia spectabilis'' (

, 1875) The turquoise (or umbee) cichlid was formerly included, but is now placed in its own genus ''Kronoheros''.

References

Heroini Fish of Central America Cichlid genera Taxa named by Henry Weed Fowler {{Cichlidae-stub