Vieja
Vieja is a genus of cichlid fish from the Pacific slope of Central America and Mexico. The majority of the species are freshwater fish found in stagnant or slow-moving waters of southern Mexico to El Salvador, but V. maculicauda, which also occurs in brackish waters, ranges south to Panama.[1] They are high-bodied cichlids that reach lengths of up to 17–35 cm (6.7–13.8 in) depending on the exact species.[2] Historically, Vieja was included in Cichlasoma. Once recognized as its own genus, it first included most of the superficially similar, relatively large and high-bodied cichlids of Central America and southern Mexico, but several of these are now considered to belong to separate genera: Chuco, Cincelichthys, Isthmoheros, Kihnichthys, Maskaheros and Oscura.[1][3] Vieja feed mostly on vegetable matter, but may also take small invertebrates.[2]
Vieja | |
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Vieja maculicauda (above), Vieja melanura (below) | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cichliformes |
Family: | Cichlidae |
Tribe: | Heroini |
Genus: | Vieja Fernández-Yépez, 1969 |
Species
There are currently 8 recognized species in this genus:[2]
- Vieja bifasciata (Steindachner, 1864) (Twoband cichlid)
- Vieja breidohri (U. Werner & Stawikowski, 1987) (Angostura cichlid)
- Vieja fenestrata (Günther, 1860)
- Vieja guttulata (Günther, 1864) (Amatitlan cichlid)
- Vieja hartwegi (J. N. Taylor & R. R. Miller, 1980) (Tailbar cichlid)
- Vieja maculicauda (Regan, 1905) (Blackbelt cichlid)
- Vieja melanura (Günther, 1862)
- Vieja zonata (Meek, 1905) (Oaxaca cichlid)
References
- McMahan, C.D., Matamoros, W.A., Piller, K.R. & Chakrabarty, P. (2015). "Taxonomy and systematics of the herichthyins (Cichlidae: Tribe Heroini), with the description of eight new Middle American Genera" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3999 (2): 211–234. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3999.2.3. PMID 26623572.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2020). Species of Vieja in FishBase. July 2020 version.
- Říčan, O.; Piálek, L.; Dragová, K. & Novák, J. (2016). "Diversity and evolution of the Middle American cichlid fishes (Teleostei: Cichlidae) with revised classification". Vertebrate Zoology. 66 (1): 1–102.