''Vieja'' is a genus 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 ...

fish from Central America and Mexico. The majority of the species are freshwater fish found in stagnant or slow-moving waters of southern Mexico to

El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...

, but ''V. maculicauda'', which also occurs in brackish waters, ranges south to Panama. They are high-bodied cichlids that reach lengths of up to depending on the exact species. ''Vieja'' feed mostly on vegetable matter, but may also take small invertebrates.

Taxonomy and species

Historically, ''Vieja'' was 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 ...

''. Once recognized as its own genus, it sometimes included most of the superficially similar, relatively large and high-bodied cichlids of Central America and southern Mexico, but several of these are now considered to belong to separate genera: ''

Chuco ''Atole'' (, from Nahuatl '' ātōlli'' ), also known as ''atolli'' and ''atol de elote'', is a traditional hot corn- and masa-based beverage of Mexican origin. Chocolate ''atole'' is known as ''champurrado'' or ''atole''. It typically accompa ...

'', '' Cincelichthys'', ''

Isthmoheros ''Isthmoheros tuyrensis'', is a species of cichlid fish found in slow-moving freshwater habitats on the Pacific slope of eastern Panama. Before it was recognized as the only member of the genus ''Isthmoheros'', it was placed in several other gene ...

'', ''

Kihnichthys ''Kihnichthys ufermanni'', the Usumacinta cichlid, is a species of cichlid found in a few rivers in the Usumacinta River basin in Guatemala and southern Mexico. It typically occurs in rivers that are about wide, fairly deep, have few or no aq ...

'', ''

Maskaheros ''Maskaheros'' is a genus of cichlids fish found on Atlantic slope of southern Mexico and Guatemala in the Coatzacoalcos and Usumacinta River The Usumacinta River (; named after the howler monkey) is a river in southeastern Mexico and no ...

'' and '' Oscura'' (''Oscuro'' might still be better merged with ''Vieja'', but this remains unconfirmed). Conversely, ''Vieja'' has sometimes been included in ''

Paraneetroplus ''Paraneetroplus'' is a genus of cichlid fish native to moderately to fast-flowing waters in the Coatzacoalcos, Grijalva and Papaloapan river basins in southern Mexico. They reach up to in length. Taxonomy and species Historically, ''Paraneet ...

''. There are currently 8 recognized species in the genus ''Vieja'': *''

Vieja bifasciata ''Vieja'' is a genus of cichlid fish from Central America and Mexico. The majority of the species are freshwater fish found in stagnant or slow-moving waters of southern Mexico to El Salvador, but ''V. maculicauda'', which also occurs in brackis ...

'' (

Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner describ ...

, 1864) (Twoband cichlid) *''

Vieja breidohri ''Vieja'' is a genus of cichlid fish from Central America and Mexico. The majority of the species are freshwater fish found in stagnant or slow-moving waters of southern Mexico to El Salvador, but ''V. maculicauda'', which also occurs in brackis ...

'' ( U. Werner & Stawikowski, 1987) (Angostura cichlid) *''

Vieja fenestrata ''Vieja'' is a genus of cichlid fish from Central America and Mexico. The majority of the species are freshwater fish found in stagnant or slow-moving waters of southern Mexico to El Salvador, but ''V. maculicauda'', which also occurs in brack ...

'' ( Günther, 1860) *''

Vieja guttulata ''Vieja'' is a genus of cichlid fish from Central America and Mexico. The majority of the species are freshwater fish found in stagnant or slow-moving waters of southern Mexico to El Salvador, but ''V. maculicauda'', which also occurs in brackis ...

'' ( Günther, 1864) (Amatitlan cichlid) *''

Vieja hartwegi ''Vieja'' is a genus of cichlid fish from Central America and Mexico. The majority of the species are freshwater fish found in stagnant or slow-moving waters of southern Mexico to El Salvador, but ''V. maculicauda'', which also occurs in brackis ...

'' ( J. N. Taylor &

R. R. Miller Robert Rush Miller (April 23, 1916 – February 10, 2003) "was an important figure in American ichthyology and conservation from 1940 to the 1990s." He was born in Colorado Springs, earned his bachelor's degree at University of California, Berke ...

, 1980) (Tailbar cichlid) *''

Vieja maculicauda ''Vieja maculicauda'' also known as the blackbelt cichlid, is a cichlid fish species native to Central America from Southern Mexico to Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Pa ...

'' (

Regan The family name Regan, along with its cognates O'Regan, O Regan, Reagan, and O'Reagan, is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riagáin or Ó Ríogáin, from Ua Riagáin. The meaning is likely to have originated in ancient Gaelic ''ri'' ...

, 1905) (Blackbelt cichlid) *''

Vieja melanurus ''Vieja melanurus'', the quetzal cichlid, redhead cichlid or firehead cichlid, is a species of cichlid that is native to the Lake Petén system, the Grijalva–Usumacinta River basin and other Atlantic river drainages in southern Mexico, Belize ...

'' ( Günther, 1862) (Redhead cichlid) *''

Vieja zonata ''Vieja'' is a genus of cichlid fish from Central America and Mexico. The majority of the species are freshwater fish found in stagnant or slow-moving waters of southern Mexico to El Salvador, but ''V. maculicauda'', which also occurs in brackis ...

'' ( Meek, 1905) (Oaxaca cichlid) In addition to these, two further species have commonly been recognized: The first is ''V. coatlicue'', but today it is usually considered the Atlantic slope population of ''V. zonata''. The second is ''V. synspilum'', in which case ''V. melanurus'' is limited to the Lake Petén system, but a review found that the supposed differences between them are invalid. Because of individual, regional and age-related variations, definite separation of some species can be difficult. Furthermore, hybrids occur, sometimes even between a ''Vieja'' species and a species from another heroine genus. The enigmatic '' Amphilophus margaritifer'', sometimes still recognized as a valid species, is most likely a hybrid involving ''

Thorichthys ''Thorichthys'' is a genus of cichlid fish that is native to the Atlantic slope of Middle America, ranging from southern Veracruz and the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, to Guatemala and Honduras, with introduced populations in a few other countr ...

'' and ''Vieja''.

References

Heroini Fish of Central America Fish of Guatemala Cichlid genera {{Cichlidae-stub