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Mayaheros urophthalmus, also known as the Mayan cichlid or Mexican mojarra, is a species of cichlid.
It is among the most-studied of the Neotropical cichlids.Martínez-Palacios, C.A., Chávez-Sánchez, C. & Olvera Novoa, M.A. (1993): The potential for culture of the American Cichlidae with emphasis on Cichlasoma urophthalmus. In: Muir, J.F. & Roberts, R.J. (Eds.), Recent advances in aquaculture. Vol. 4., Blackwell, Oxford, England. To date, the Mayan cichlid has been most intensively studied at localities in southeastern Mexico on or near the Yucatán Peninsula.Gamboa-Pérez, H.C. & Schmitter-Soto, J.J. (1999): Distribution of cichlid fishes in the littoral of Lake Bacalar, Yucatan Peninsula. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 54 (1): 35–43.
In Thailand, it is listed as one of 13 aquatic species prohibited for import and possession, including cultivation by the Department of Fisheries alongside other species such as zebra tilapia ( Heterotilapia buttikoferi) and blackchin tilapia ( Sarotherodon melanotheron) etc.
The Mayan cichlid is capable of surviving in a variety of conditions. It is euryhaline and can survive in a range of salinity from 0 – 40 ppt. Experiments on captive specimens have shown that it can tolerate abrupt increases in salinity of up to 15 ppt.Martinez-Palacios, C.A., Ross, L.G. & Rosado-Vallado, M. (1990): The effects of salinity on the survival and growth of juvenile Cichlasoma urophthalmus. Aquaculture, 91 (1-2): 65–75. The Mayan cichlid has a broad range of tolerance to abiotic conditions and a broad functional repertoire to enable it to feed on about 20% of evasive prey due to its 6.8% jaw protrusion while feeding.Hulsey, C.D. & García de León, F.J. (2005): Cichlid jaw mechanics: linking morphology to feeding specialization. Functional Ecology, 19 (3): 487–494.
This species is also a dietary generalist, consuming organisms from a variety of disparate taxa.Martinez-Palacios, C.A. & Ross, L.G. (1988): The feeding ecology of the Central American cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus (Gunther). Journal of Fish Biology, 33 (5): 665–670. It is susceptible to malnourishment, though, apparently due to the requirement that a relatively large proportion of its diet be animal prey. The Mayan cichlid's diet includes plant matter, smaller fish, algae, detritus, snails, crustaceans, and insects.
Reproduction
The Mayan cichlid is territorial and aggressive when breeding. As parents, Mayan cichlids are highly protective of their young, and they have several broods per year. This species is a monogamous, biparental substrate spawner that exhibits minimal sexual dimorphism and guards its fry for up to six weeks. All of these traits are greatly developed and represent an extreme in the general pattern found in the genus Mayaheros. In Mexico, the Mayan cichlid spawns for a nine-month period from March to November, particularly during the wet season from June to September. This corresponds to a period when the water temperature is at least 24°C. Multiple broods are raised per year. The fry appear to be adapted to lotic water. They exhibit strongly positive geotactic behavior, actively swimming down to the substrate upon hatching from the egg and adhering themselves to the bottom by means of three pairs of mucous glands.
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