''Heros'' is a

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 ...

cichlids Cichlids are fish from the family (biology), 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 c ...

native to the

Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...

Orinoco The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3 percent of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia. It is the fourth largest river in the wor ...

and Essequibo River basins in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

.Staeck, W. & Schindler, I. (2015): Description of a new ''Heros'' species (Teleostei, Cichlidae) from the Rio Orinoco drainage and notes on ''Heros severus'' Heckel, 1840. ''Bulletin of Fish Biology, 15 (1/2): 121-136.'' They were previously included in the genus ''

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 ...

'' before its restriction to the distinct group of "Port Cichlids." The ''Heros'' species most commonly encountered in the

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

trade are fish referable to the species ''

Heros efasciatus ''Heros efasciatus'' is a species of tropical freshwater cichlid native to the Amazon basin in South America. It is commonly found in the aquarium trade, often in its gold colored variation rather than the wild-type olive green one. Diet ''Hero ...

''. However, the trade name generally used is "Severum Cichlids." Trade fish are very often line bred specimens of color sports such as "Super Red Severums" or "Gold Severums." The provenance of these is not clear, but they seem to have been derived from the base "Green Severum" form that is most closely identified with ''H. efasciatus.''

Species

There are currently five recognized species in this genus: * ''

'' Heckel, 1840 * ''

Heros liberifer ''Heros liberifer'' is a species of tropical cichlid native to lentic habitats, especially flooded forests, in the upper and middle Orinoco basin in South America. Up until 2014 the liberifer was incorrectly believed to be the previously defined ...

'' Staeck & I. Schindler, 2015 * ''

Heros notatus ''Heros notatus'' is a species of tropical freshwater cichlid native to Rio Negro and Essequibo River in South America. Aquarium trade This species is uncommon in the aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a viva ...

'' ( Jardine, 1843) * ''

Heros severus ''Heros severus'' (previously known as ''Cichlasoma severum''), is a species of tropical freshwater cichlid native to the upper Orinoco and upper Rio Negro basins in South America. It has historically been confused with several other species in ...

'' Heckel, 1840 * ''

Heros spurius ''Heros spurius'' is a species of cichlid fish native to the Guaporé River drainage in the Amazon basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an a ...

'' Heckel, 1840 Many authorities also cite a previously described species, ''Heros appendiculatus.'' It has a form quite distinct from ''H. efasciatus'' but was synonymized with ''H. efasciatus'' by Dr.

Sven O. Kullander Sven Oscar Kullander (born 30 November 1952 in Sollefteå) is a Swedish biologist specialised in ichthyology. He primarily researches cichlids – notably the genus ''Apistogramma'' and the ''Cichlasoma''-complex – and other tropical fresh ...

. Another color form, ''Heros'' sp. Rotkeil ("Red Shoulder") is thought by hobby specialists to represent an undescribed ''Heros'' species.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3698 Heroini Cichlid genera Taxa named by Johann Jakob Heckel