# Costa Rican Cichlid ID



## CLEVETRON (Feb 19, 2013)

I was recently on a two week field course in Costa Rica at a small Biological Field Station on Rio La Suerte, a river that flows into Tortuguero from about 12km inland on the Caribbean Slope. One night, wandering around a depression just downhill from a cattle pasture, I came across a puddle FILLED with baby cichlids. They looked just like convicts, and then I saw some adults that had that same convict quality to them but not quite. I've poked around the internet and have a feeling they are _Amatitlania kanna_, mostly because I've never seen another cichlid in the convict crowd with yellow pectorals, but who knows. Hopefully somebody on here can help ID this little bugger!


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## CjCichlid (Sep 14, 2005)

Where at in Costa Rica were you (ie: north, south, east, ect..)? It's really hard to say for sure as all the Amatitliana species are so similar, yet can really vary in appearance depending on locality. It could potentially be A. nigrofasciata, A. kanna, or A. siquia...


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## CLEVETRON (Feb 19, 2013)

The field station is located about 12km inland from the Caribbean slope. I don't know if you are familiar with Tortuguero, but Rio La Suerta, where this fish was found, is a tributary of Rio Tortuguero.

The main reason I was leaning toward _A. kanna_ was the color of the pectoral fins. At first glance I thought it was a puddle full of A. nigrofasciata fry, but I've seen SOOO many of them in my life and these guys were just... different.

Here are a few other cichlids found in the area.

_Astatheros alfari_









Juvenile _Parachromis dovii_ (pretty sure)









Mystery Cichlid!!


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## iridextr (Feb 8, 2013)

I have no idea what fish they are, as I don't really keep anything CA fish but my firemouths. But WOW this just looks amazing.. catching cichlids and seeing them in their natural habitat just sounds amazing, and looking at these fish in nature gives me a better appreciation for them too.. I couldn't explain why though ha.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

CjCichlid said:


> Where at in Costa Rica were you (ie: north, south, east, ect..)? It's really hard to say for sure as all the Amatitliana species are so similar, yet can really vary in appearance depending on locality. It could potentially be A. nigrofasciata, A. kanna, or A. siquia...


Well if it is found in Costa Rica should not be A. kanna as that is suposed to be a Panamanian fish.The distinctions between the convict species are not really, very distinguishable :lol: .....Shmitter-Sotto disected fish to try and distinguish. Intestinal length has been shown to vary significantly depended on what a cichlid eats, even in it`s recent past. It`s a convict of some kind; different as any, as any varies from water body to water body..

Do not beleive the Parachromis pictured is P. dovii. Looks more like P. loisellei.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Do not know what the mystery fish is. Looks to me like Caquetaia umbrifera.


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## CLEVETRON (Feb 19, 2013)

Thanks guys!

Yea it's pretty cool being able to catch these guys in their natural habitat. What still blows me away is finding fish like these in what amount to big mud puddles!

BC: I was going back and forth between P. dovii and P. loiselli. I'm going to have to get a hold of a good key for my next trip, get down and dirty differentiating some of these fish!


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Well since so far nobody has been able to give a positive I.D. on the mystery fish, you should post these pics on the Cichlid Room Companion forum and see what the experts on that forum beleive it is. To me, it still looks most like C. umbrifera :lol: compared to any other CA cichlid I compared it to.......a little farther North then what you might expect to find a 'Panama green umbie'?


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Another possibility....Astatheros calobrensis.http://www.cichlidae.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=14693 Though again, that is suposed to be a Panamanian fish.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

BC in SK said:


> Another possibility....Astatheros calobrensis


It really can't be that, as A. calobrense is Pacific slope.....and the fish in question is from the other side!


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

BC in SK said:


> C. umbrifera


Seeing that these fish were caught in the North Eastern part of Costa Rica....I think we can completely rule out, C. umbrifera, as it is way out of it's range :lol: Maybe P. dovii ? Lacking a little bit of gill plate markings because of the state it's in out of water? It would be a good idea to post these pics on the Cichlid Room companion forum in order to get a positive I.D.

Convict should be A. siquia, as A. nigrofasciatus is Pacific slope and A. kanna is suposed to be found much farther south, in Panama.


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

Interesting. We had Dr Ron Coleman speak at our annual dinner Saturday. He was just back from his annual trip to Costa Rica. The top fish does appear to be a convict. What was the name of the research station?


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## CLEVETRON (Feb 19, 2013)

La Suerte Biological Field Station, on Rio La Suerte, Cariari, Lima, CR.


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