''Mikrogeophagus'' is a genus of small

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 ...

s 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 ...

basin 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 ...

. M. ''ramirezi'' is native to the Llanos of the

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 ...

basin. M. ''altispinosus'' is from the Rio Mamoré and the middle and lower Rio Guaporé basins in Bolivia and Brazil. The third form of Mikrogeophagus, M. '' maculicauda,''is found in the Rio Pindatuba (upper Rio Guaporé basin.) M.''ramirezi'' and M. ''altispinosus'' are popular with

aquarists Fishkeeping is a popular hobby, practiced by aquarists, concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a piscicultural fishkeeping industry, serving as a branch of agriculture. Origins of fishkeeping Fish have ...

, especially ''M. ramirezi''. These species

spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawn (biology), the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment, and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** '' Spawn: Ar ...

on flat rocks or leaves and not in caves like fishes from the closely related cichlid genus '' Apistogramma''.

Species

The currently recognized species in this genus are: * ''

Mikrogeophagus altispinosus ''Mikrogeophagus altispinosus'' is a species of fish endemic to the Amazon River basin in Brazil and Bolivia. The species is part of the family Cichlidae and subfamily Geophaginae. It is a popular aquarium fish, traded under the common names ...

'' ( Haseman, 1911) (Bolivian Ram) * ''

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi The ram cichlid, ''Mikrogeophagus ramirezi'', is a species of freshwater fish endemic to the Orinoco River basin, in the savannahs of Venezuela and Colombia in South America. The species has been examined in studies on fish behaviour and is a p ...

'' ( G. S. Myers & Harry, 1948) (ram cichlid) * ''

Mikrogeophagus maculicauda ''Mikrogeophagus'' is a genus of small cichlids native to the Amazon basin in South America. M. ''ramirezi'' is native to the Llanos of the Orinoco basin. M. ''altispinosus'' is from the Rio Mamoré and the middle and lower Rio Guaporé basins ...

'' {{Taxonbar, from=Q135525 Geophagini Cichlid genera