American Cichlid – Tailbar Cichlid (Vieja hartwegi) 3-4cm

These freshwater fish usually inhabit the lower to middle river valleys and lakes where water moves slowly. They are found over rocks, silt, sand, or mud, often hiding amidst root tangles. Taylor and Miller first described the Vieja hartwegi 1980.

An interesting thing about these fish is that they are a polymorphic species. As in, based on the morphological data, they have been found to exist in two forms. The first is the typical morph of a moderately deep, somewhat elongated body shape with a mid-lateral band.

The other form of Tailbar Cichlid is the rheophilic form discovered quite recently in the upper reaches of the Grijalva River basin in Mexico. In this form, they have an elongated and slightly deep body shape and no presence of a mid-lateral band.

• Species – Vieja hartwegi
• Common Name – Tailbar Cichlid
  
• Origin – Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico
• Diet – Omnivores
• PH Range – 6 – 8
• Temperature – Tropical 21°c – 28°c
• Breed Type – Egg Layer
• MaximumSize – approximately 30cm
• Sex – Un-sexed