''Astatheros macracanthus'', the blackthroat cichlid, is a species of

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 this ...

freshwater fish from southern Mexico and northern Central America. It is the only recognized species in the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Astatheros'', but it was originally described in '' Heros'', then for a long period included in ''

Cichlasoma ''Cichlasoma'' is a genus of freshwater fish in the cichlid family. The genus was previously very large (a wastebasket taxon), including cichlids from North America, including Central America, and South America. Reclassification and subsequent s ...

'' and until 2008 it was typically included in ''

Amphilophus ''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 ...

''. Several other species have also been placed in ''Astatheros'' in the past, but they are now generally placed in ''

Cribroheros ''Cribroheros'' is a genus of cichlid found in Middle America (Americas), 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 o ...

''.Říčan, O., Piálek, L., Dragová, K., and Novák, J. (2016). Diversity and evolution of the Middle American cichlid fishes (Teleostei: Cichlidae) with revised classification. Vertebrate Zoology 66 (1): 1-102. This blackthroat cichlid is

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutri ...

and reaches up to in

standard length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish m ...

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q25803971, from2=Q25354063 Heroini Cichlid genera Cichlid fish of Central America Freshwater fish of Mexico Taxa named by Jacques Pellegrin Monotypic ray-finned fish genera