''Hypsophrys nicaraguensis'', the moga, 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 ...

native to the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

slope of

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. ...

, from

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

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

. The species is a popular aquarium fish and is traded under a variety of common names that include nickie, parrot cichlid, macaw cichlid, butterfly cichlid and nicaraguense. In Costa Rica it is known as a ''vieja''.

Feeding

''Hypsophrys nicaraguensis'' is able to protrude its jaw to 3.8% of its standard length limiting its diet to only 1% evasive prey.

Classification

The species was formerly the only representative of its genus, and is part of

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Cichlidae 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 thi ...

in subfamily

Cichlasomatinae The Cichlasomatinae are a subfamily of cichlid fishes, including all ciclids native to the Greater Antilles (Cuba and Hispaniola), United States (southern Texas), Mexico and Central America, and many of the cichlids from South America (the other ...

. However, the Poor man's tropheus, formerly ''Neetroplus nematopus'', has also been placed into the genus ''Hypsophrys'', as ''Hypsophrys nematopus''.

Conservation

It occurs in the

Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge Maquenque Wildlife Refuge ( es, Refugio de Vida Silvestre Maquenque), is a protected area in Costa Rica, managed under the Arenal Huetar Norte Conservation Area, it was created in 2005 by decree 32405-MINAE. It connects Tortuguero National Park an ...

References

nicaraguensis Fish of Central America Fish of Nicaragua Fishkeeping Fish described in 1864 Taxa named by Albert Günther {{cichlidae-stub