The turquoise cichlid (''Kronoheros umbriferus''), also known as the umbee cichlid, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals 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 th ...

fish found in freshwater habitats of eastern

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 ...

and central and western Colombia. It is commonly caught as a food fish, and sometimes kept in aquariums. This robust fish is the largest cichlid native to its range, up to in weight and long, and in the Americas only certain

peacock bass Peacock bass or Brazilian tucunaré are large freshwater cichlids of the genus ''Cichla''. These are diurnal predatory fishes native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as rivers of the Guianas, in tropical South America. They are someti ...

and the wolf cichlid may reach a greater size. Females of the turquoise cichlid remain significantly smaller than males. It is strongly predatory, typically feeding on fish and other small animals, but it may also take fruits and seeds.

Taxonomy and appearance

This cichlid was first

scientifically described A species description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species that have be ...

in 1913 based on specimens from the Cupe River, which is a part of the

Tuira River The Tuira River is located in the Darién Province of eastern Panama. It flows into the Bay of San Miguel at the province capital of La Palma. It is the largest river in Panama, and one of its tributaries, the Chucunaque River, is the longes ...

basin in Panama. It was 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 s ...

'', which at the time was a

wastebasket genus Wastebasket taxon (also called a wastebin taxon, dustbin taxon or catch-all taxon) is a term used by some taxonomists to refer to a taxon that has the sole purpose of classifying organisms that do not fit anywhere else. They are typically defined ...

. As the species clearly belonged elsewhere, it was subsequenctly moved to '' Heros'' or ''

Caquetaia ''Caquetaia'' is a small genus of cichlid 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 ha ...

'', until finally moved to its own genus ''Kronoheros'' in 2016. It is currently the only recognized species in the genus ''Kronoheros'', but it is likely it will be split into at least two separate species, as there are significant variations in the appearance and

genetic Genetic may refer to: *Genetics, in biology, the science of genes, heredity, and the variation of organisms **Genetic, used as an adjective, refers to genes ***Genetic disorder, any disorder caused by a genetic mutation, whether inherited or de nov ...

studies have shown clear differences between those from the Tuira River of Panama and the

Atrato River The Atrato River () is a river of northwestern Colombia. It rises in the slopes of the Western Cordillera and flows almost due north to the Gulf of Urabá (or Gulf of Darién), where it forms a large, swampy delta. Its course crosses the ...

of Colombia (genetic data is lacking for other populations). Adults have an iridescent light-spotted pattern, but the extent and color hue varies. It can roughly be divided into three main groups, each with some minor subgroups. Their differences are most obvious in adult males and less so in adult females, whereas young are similar. The first group includes those from Panama and is sometimes known as the Panama green umbee. These have silvery spotting on the body and are quite yellowish overall, especially on the face and operculum, which lack silvery, turquoise or dark red spotting/speckling. The second group includes Colombian individuals from the Chocó region, the northwest (including Atrato River) and locally near

San Rafael San Rafael may refer to: Places Argentina * San Rafael, Mendoza * San Rafael Department, Mendoza Bolivia * San Rafael de Velasco, capital of San Rafael Municipality * San Rafael Municipality, Santa Cruz Chile * San Rafael, Chile, Maule ...

(where possibly introduced; this region is part of the Magdalena basin that otherwise is inhabited by the third group), and is sometimes known as the black umbee or black gorillus. These are quite dark overall with a body covered in turquoise-blue spots, and dark reddish speckles on the head and operculum. The third group is found widely in the Magdalena basin of Colombia and is the type best known in the aquarium trade. It is the "true" turquoise cichlid (although if split, the scientific name ''Kronoheros umbriferus'' belongs to the Panama population) and it is also known as the blue umbee. As suggest by the names, they are densely covered in turquoise-blue spots, including some on the face and operculum.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q25038653 Heroini Monotypic fish genera Freshwater fish of Colombia Magdalena River Fish of Panama Taxa named by Seth Eugene Meek Taxa named by Samuel Frederick Hildebrand Fish described in 1913