''Amphilophus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

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 ...

fishes from

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

, ranging from southern Mexico to

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 ...

. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well-known from the aquarium trade. However, studies led by Oldřich Říčan in 2008 and 2016 suggested that several species within ''Amphilophus'' should be moved to the genus '' Astatheros''. Species proposed to be moved to ''Astatheros'' in 2008 were ''A. alfari'', ''A. altifrons'', ''A. bussingi'', ''A. diquis'', ''A. longimanus'', ''A. macracanthus'' (which would be the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen( ...

for ''Astatheros''), ''A. margaritifer'', ''A. rhytisma'', ''A. robertsoni'' and ''A. rostratus''. Further genetic studies led Říčan to put ''A. macracanthus'' in ''Astatheros'', but to put ''A. alfari'', ''A. altifrons'', ''A. bussingi'', ''A. diquis'', ''A. longimanus'', ''A. rhytisma'', ''A. robertsoni'' and ''A. rostratus'' within the genus ''

Cribroheros ''Cribroheros'' is a genus of cichlid found in Middle America. These freshwater fish are distributed over most of Middle America, from western Panama to southern Mexico, on both Atlantic and Pacific slopes. Depending on species, their habitat r ...

''. Říčan's study suggests that the ''Astatheros'' species are more closely related to the

Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...

and

rainbow cichlid '' Herotilapia multispinosa'' (previously: ''Archocentrus multispinosus'') also known as the rainbow cichlid is a Central American freshwater fish of the cichlid family. It is found on the Atlantic slope of Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica fro ...

than to the remaining ''Amphilophus'' species. Several species from this genus are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to the small Lake Apoyo (6 species) and Lake Xiloá (4 species) in

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to ...

, and are believed to be the result of

sympatric speciation Sympatric speciation is the evolution of a new species from a surviving ancestral species while both continue to inhabit the same geographic region. In evolutionary biology and biogeography, sympatric and sympatry are terms referring to organi ...

Species

According to

FishBase FishBase is a global species database of fish species (specifically finfish). It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web.

, there are currently 16 recognized species in this genus, listed below. According to

Catalog of Fishes Catalog of Fishes is a comprehensive on-line database and reference work on the scientific names of fish species and genera. It is global in its scope and is hosted by the California Academy of Sciences. It has been compiled and is continuously u ...

, ''Amphilophus erythraeus'' is a valid species (considered a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are al ...

of ''A. labiatus'' by FishBase), ''Amphilophus margaritifer'' is an invalid species, and ''Amphilophus'' includes two additional species, '' Amphilophus istlanus'' and ''

Amphilophus trimaculatus The three spot cichlid (''Cichlasoma trimaculatum''), also known as the trimac or red-eyed cichlid, is a species of cichlid from Mexico and Central America, from the subfamily Cichlasomatinae. It is a rarely found as an aquarium fish. Although st ...

'' (both these are placed in '' Cichlasoma'' by FishBase). Whereas ''trimaculatus'' belongs in ''Amphilophus'' based on genetics, appearance and behavior, the position of ''istlanus'' is less clear, as nDNA places it in ''Amphilophus'', but mDNA places it in '' Mayaheros''; ''istlanus'' is likely the result of

hybrid speciation Hybrid speciation is a form of speciation where hybridization between two different species leads to a new species, reproductively isolated from the parent species. Previously, reproductive isolation between two species and their parents was tho ...

involving ''A. trimaculatus'' and ''Mayaheros beani''. * '' Amphilophus amarillo'' Stauffer & McKaye, 2002 * '' Amphilophus astorquii'' Stauffer, McCrary & K. E. Black, 2008 (Black midas cichlid)
/ref> * '' Amphilophus chancho'' Stauffer, McCrary & K. E. Black, 2008 * '' Amphilophus citrinellus'' ( Günther, 1864) (Midas cichlid) * '' Amphilophus flaveolus'' Stauffer, McCrary & K. E. Black, 2008 * '' Amphilophus globosus''

Geiger Geiger may refer to: People *Geiger (surname) Places * Geiger, Alabama, a town * Geiger (crater), a lunar impact crater on the far side of the Moon * Geiger, South Sudan, a border town filled with refugees Other * Geiger counter, a device ...

, McCrary & Stauffer, 2010
/ref> * '' Amphilophus hogaboomorum'' ( Carr & Giovannoli, 1950) * '' Amphilophus labiatus'' ( Günther, 1864) (Red devil) * ''

Amphilophus lyonsi ''Amphilophus'' is a genus of cichlid fishes from Central America, ranging from southern Mexico to Panama. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well-known from the aquarium trade. However, studies led by Oldřich ...

'' ( J. P. Gosse, 1966) * '' Amphilophus margaritifer'' ( Günther, 1862) * '' Amphilophus sagittae'' Stauffer & McKaye, 2002 * '' Amphilophus supercilius''

, McCrary & Stauffer, 2010 * ''

Amphilophus tolteca ''Amphilophus'' is a genus of cichlid fishes from Central America, ranging from southern Mexico to Panama. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well-known from the aquarium trade. However, studies led by Oldřich ...

'' Recknagel, Kusche, Elmer & A. Meyer, 2013Recknagel, H., Kusche, H., Elmer, K.R. & Meyer, A. (2013)
Two new endemic species in the Midas cichlid species complex from Nicaraguan crater lakes: ''Amphilophus tolteca'' and ''Amphilophus viridis'' (Perciformes, Cichlidae).
''aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 19 (4): 207-224.'' * ''

Amphilophus viridis ''Amphilophus'' is a genus of cichlid fishes from Central America, ranging from southern Mexico to Panama. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well-known from the aquarium trade. However, studies led by Oldřich � ...

'' Recknagel, Kusche, Elmer & A. Meyer, 2013 * ''

Amphilophus xiloaensis ''Amphilophus'' is a genus of cichlid fishes from Central America, ranging from southern Mexico to Panama. The genus currently contains 23 species, including several that are well-known from the aquarium trade. However, studies led by Oldři ...

'' Stauffer & McKaye, 2002 * '' Amphilophus zaliosus'' ( Barlow, 1976) (Arrow cichlid)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q133911 Heroini Fish of Central America Cichlid genera Taxa named by Louis Agassiz