Scientific Name
Amatitlania nigrofasciata

Common Name
Convict cichlid

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 17 - 19; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-9; Anal spines: 8 - 10; Anal soft rays: 6 - 7; Vertebrae: 27 - 28. This species is distinguished by the following characters: two (vs. one) distal rows of interradial scales on anal fin; arms in the first epibranchial bone are parallel (vs. divergent); posterior end of dentigerous arm of dentary rounded or squarish (vs. triple-spined or bluntly pointed); peritoneal coloration is uniformly dark (vs. not uniformly dark); rostrad directed pronounced convexity on the ventral process of the articular absent (vs. present); body less deep than as compared with its congeners kanna and siquia; 4th bar not Y-shaped (Ref. 74403).

Classification

Classified By

G?nther, 1867

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Cichlids (Cichlidae)

Distribution

Region

Central America

Distribution

Central America: Pacific slope, from R?o Sucio, El Salvador to R?o Suchiate, Guatemala; Atlantic slope, from R?o Patuca, Honduras to R?o Jutiapa, Guatemala. Not in slope to Panama, Costa Rica or even Nicaragua, as formerly considered. Introduced elsewhere.

Range

15°N - 8°N

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

20 °C

Water Temperature To

36 °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

Unknown m

Zone

benthopelagic

Environment

Freshwater; ; pH range: 7.0 - 8.0; dH range: 9 - 20 benthopelagic

Trophic Level

3.26 s.e. 0.45 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

10.0 cm

Common Length

8.5 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5625 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: highly commercial

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (14 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tm

Threat To Humans

Potential pest (Ref. 44091)

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated