Vieja

Short description: Genus of fishes

Vieja

Vieja maculicauda (above),
Vieja melanurus (below)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Actinopterygii
Order:  | Cichliformes
Family:  | Cichlidae
Tribe:  | Heroini
Genus:  | Vieja
Fernández-Yépez, 1969
Synonyms

* Paratheraps Werner & Stawikowski, 1987

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 brackish waters, ranges south to Panama.[1] They are high-bodied cichlids that reach lengths of up to 17–35 cm (7–14 in) depending on the exact species.[2] Vieja feed mostly on vegetable matter, but may also take small invertebrates.[2]

## Taxonomy and species

Historically, Vieja was included in Cichlasoma. 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, Cincelichthys, Isthmoheros, Kihnichthys, Maskaheros and Oscura (Oscuro might still be better merged with Vieja, but this remains unconfirmed). Conversely, Vieja has sometimes been included in Paraneetroplus.[1][3]

There are currently 8 recognized species in the genus Vieja:[2]

* Vieja bifasciata (Steindachner, 1864) (Twoband cichlid)
* Vieja breidohri (U. Werner & Stawikowski, 1987) (Angostura cichlid)
* Vieja fenestrata (Günther, 1860)
* Vieja guttulata (Günther, 1864) (Amatitlan cichlid)
* Vieja hartwegi (J. N. Taylor & R. R. Miller, 1980) (Tailbar cichlid)
* Vieja maculicauda (Regan, 1905) (Blackbelt cichlid)
* Vieja melanurus (Günther, 1862) (Redhead cichlid)
* Vieja zonata (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.[4] 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.[5]

Because of individual, regional and age-related variations, definite separation of some species can be difficult.[6] Furthermore, hybrids occur, sometimes even between a Vieja species and a species from another heroine genus.[7] The enigmatic Amphilophus margaritifer, sometimes still recognized as a valid species, is most likely a hybrid involving Thorichthys and Vieja.[3][8]

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 McMahan, C.D.; Matamoros, W.A.; Piller, K.R.; Chakrabarty, P. (2015). "Taxonomy and systematics of the herichthyins (Cichlidae: Tribe Heroini), with the description of eight new Middle American Genera". Zootaxa 3999 (2): 211–234. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3999.2.3. PMID 26623572. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2015/f/zt03999p234.pdf.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2020). Species of Vieja in FishBase. July 2020 version.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Říčan, O.; Piálek, L.; Dragová, K.; Novák, J. (2016). "Diversity and evolution of the Middle American cichlid fishes (Teleostei: Cichlidae) with revised classification". Vertebrate Zoology 66 (1): 1–102.
4. ↑ McMahan, C.D.; Matamoros, W.A.; Elías, D.J.; Piller, K.R. (2019). "Species or population? Systematic status of Vieja coatlicue (Teleostei: Cichlidae)". Neotropical Ichthyology 17 (2): e190004. doi:10.1590/1982-0224-20190004.
5. ↑ McMahan, C.D.; Murray, C.M.; Geheber, A.D.; Boeckman, C.D.; Piller, K.R. (2011). "Paraneetroplus synspilus is a Junior Synonym of Paraneetroplus melanurus (Teleostei: Cichlidae)". Zootaxa 2833: 1-14. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.2833.1.1.
6. ↑ Gómez-González, A.E.; Álvarez, F.; Matamoros, W.A.; Velázquez-Velázquez, E.; Schmitter-Soto, J.J.; González-Díaz, A.A.; McMahan, C.D. (2018). "Redescription of Vieja hartwegi (Taylor & Miller 1980) (Teleostei: Cichlidae) from the Grijalva River basin, Mexico and Guatemala, with description of a rheophilic morph". Zootaxa 4375 (3): 371–391. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4375.3.5.
7. ↑ Říčan, Oldřich; Morgenstern, Rico (2018). "Hybrids, not a new rheophilic morph of Vieja hartwegi". doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.14727.09123. https://www.ciclidos-mexico.com/InformativoCM/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/CommentpaperonVhartwegirheophilicmorph_BioRXiv.pdf.
8. ↑ Morgenstern, R. (2015). "Anmerkungen zur Herkunft und Identität von Heros margaritifer Günther, 1862". DCG-Informationen 46 (1): 2-9.

Wikidata ☰ Q3557970 entry

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