Mayan Cichlid

Mayaheros urophthalmus reaches a maximum length of 39.4 cm (15.5 in). This fish is one of the larger cichlids. Its body is oval and flattened on the sides and the head is tapering toward the mouth, and its fins are spiny. It has a base color of yellow-brown to gray-brown in most cases, that becomes intense red during breeding. The head and throat are reddish, especially in younger fish. The caudal fin and the soft sections of the dorsal and anal fins are usually more or less reddish. Six, wide, green-black vertical stripes run across the sides of the body between the base of the pectoral fin and the base of the caudal fin. A large black eye spot circled with blue-green is on the tail stem (hence the species scientific name urophthalmus, from oura, Greek for tail and ophthalmos, Greek for eye).

This species can be found in Middle America. It is native to the Atlantic slope of tropical Mesoamerica, ranging from eastern Mexico southward to Nicaragua. It was first recorded from Everglades National Park, Florida, in 1983, and is now a common nonindigenous fish in South Florida.

Mayan cichlids are territorial and aggressive when breeding; they are highly protective of their young and have several broods per year. This species is a monogamous, biparental, substrate spawner that exhibits minimal sexual dimorphism and guards its fry for up to 6 weeks. All of these traits are greatly developed and represent an extreme in the general pattern found in the genus Mayaheros. In Mexico, the Mayan cichlid spawns for a 9-month period from March to November, particularly during the wet season from June to September. This corresponds to a period when the water temperature is at least 24 °C. Multiple broods are raised per year. The fry appear to be adapted to lotic water. They exhibit strongly positive geotactic behavior, actively swimming down to the substrate upon hatching from the egg and adhering themselves to the bottom by means of three pairs of mucous glands.

In its native range, the Mayan cichlid is a popular food fish, so is the basis of a regional fishery and is commonly used in aquaculture. As in many animals, the red color is much more brilliant in wild specimens than captive ones, but one can help maintain some of its vibrance by feeding the fish live foods and foods that contain vitamin A, which breaks down into the red pigment beta carotene in the body.

It is among the most-studied of the Neotropical cichlids. To date, the Mayan cichlid has been most intensively studied at localities in southeastern Mexico on or near the Yucatán Peninsula.

In Thailand, it is listed as one of 13 aquatic species prohibited for import and possession, including cultivation by the Department of Fisheries alongside other species such as zebra tilapia (Heterotilapia buttikoferi) and blackchin tilapia (Sarotherodon melanotheron), etc.