The Salvin's cichlid (''Trichromis salvini''), also known as the yellow-belly cichlid or tricolored cichlid, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Cichlidae 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 ...

. It is found in rivers of the Atlantic slope of southern

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

, and

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

. It is the only species in the genus ''Trichromis''.

Taxonomy

In 2015, McMahan ''et al.'' published a paper placing this species in the genus ''Trichromis''. The relationship of Salvin's cichlid to other Central American cichlid had long been debated. Genetic research by Říčan ''et al.'' revealed that the closest relatives to ''Trichromis'' are the firemouth cichlid and its congeners in the genus ''

Thorichthys ''Thorichthys'' is a genus of cichlid fish that is native to the Atlantic slope of Middle America, ranging from southern Veracruz and the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, to Guatemala and Honduras, with introduced populations in a few other countr ...

''.

Description

The Salvin's cichlid is oblong in shape and has a rather pointed mouth compared to other Central American cichlids. The body is yellow with two lines of black "flowers" along the side and upper half of the back of the fish. These flowers have a blue pearl outline. It has black bars that cross the face, and both sexes have red bellies, which is more pronounced in females, especially when ready to spawn. Females also have a patch in the center of the

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...

and a spot on the lower part of the

gill cover The operculum is a series of bones found in bony fish and Chimaera, chimaeras that serves as a facial support structure and a protective covering for the gills; it is also used for respiration and feeding. Anatomy The opercular series contain ...

. Females are smaller than males. Males are duller in color and have longer, more pointed fins. Both male and female become more vibrant during breeding.

Distribution

Salvin's cichlid is found along the eastern coastal rivers and lagoons at lower elevations of

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 ...

, from Mexico south to

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

. This species is introduced in

South Florida South Florida, sometimes colloquially shortened to SoFlo, is the Regions of the United States#Florida, southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the two others are ...

. The species prefers moderate to fast flowing currents.

Dietary habits

Salvin's cichlid is a

piscivore A piscivore () is a carnivorous animal that primarily eats fish. Fish were the diet of early tetrapod evolution (via water-bound amphibians during the Devonian period); insectivory came next; then in time, the more terrestrially adapted repti ...

. It uses slight jaw protrusion to exploit prey located near riverbeds. Their 8.2% jaw protrusion only allows them to consume 48% of evasive prey.

Reproduction

The female takes a more active role in initiating breeding and caring for fry than the male.

Aquarium specimens

Care requirements

Salvin's cichlid is a very hardy fish, preferring temperatures between . They prefer a higher pH of around 8.0, and require the space of at least a tank. They grow to approximately in length and are quite aggressive toward other fish, but moderate aggressive towards same species. They require rocks and logs to hide in, and open swimming space.

Feeding

Salvin's cichlid accepts a wide variety of foods.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q21226830, from2=Q46370220, from3=Q5527115 Heroini Fish described in 1862 Taxa named by Albert Günther Cichlid fish of Central America Fish of Belize Fish of Guatemala Freshwater fish of Mexico