Vieja bifasciata

(Steindachner, 1864)

Vernacular names
English : Twoband cichlid
French : Bifasciatum

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Cichliformes (sometimes still Perciformes)
Family : Cichlidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach up to 30 cm in length. Small mouth, big hump on forehead (bigger for males) and yellow eyes). Head is usually pink, rest of body is yellow with a dark longitudinal line (fading) and an elongated black blotch on flanks.

Range and habitat
The species occurs on the Atlantic slope of Central America, in Mexico and Guatemala, in the Grijalva and Usumacinta river basins. Lives in lakes, lagoons, lower rivers with slow current.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : DATA DEFICIENT
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species seems to remain at least locally common within its range. It is still collected for the aquarium trade but in reasonable numbers so far.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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