CENTRAL AMERICAN CICHLIDS.
Order Perciformes
Family Cichlidae
Subfamily ( Cichlasomatinae )
Genus Paraneetroplus.
— Paraneetroplus argentea [Allgayer, 1991] — Silver Cichlid. Synonyms: Cichlasoma, Theraps, Vieja argentea. (Eng- Silver Cichlid). Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Usumacinta and San Roman river basins. 30 cm, female is smaller. Body is high, dense, strongly compressed laterally. Differs from other species by the length of the caudal fin. Mouth is dotted with small teeth. Coloration is grayish-silver with black spots of various sizes.
Blurred dark spots (banding pattern), most distinct on the forehead, back, above the ventral fins, and on the caudal peduncle. Typical horizontal black stripes on the forehead, upper broad stripe above the eyes. On the rear part of the caudal peduncle, there is a black spot which is smaller in females. With age, the coloration becomes more intense with a grey metallic sheen. Males are larger than females, with a steep forehead, and have more dots in the upper part and on the fins. Sex determination in young fish is difficult.
The main requirement for maintenance is a fairly spacious aquarium. Very high intraspecific aggression; these fish are capable of killing even during transport. Aggressive during the spawning period, especially towards conspecifics; when kept together, provide a sufficient number of shelters and adequate territory for all fish.
Young fish can be very aggressive towards each other, but this behavior disappears as they mature. A fairly large aquarium with shelters made of driftwood and stones for females is necessary. All decorations must be securely fixed, as the fish will frequently rearrange the landscape to their liking.
Plants can be used, but will most likely be uprooted; floating plants can be used. Water chemistry is not very important for these fish. Filtration must be powerful, as these are large fish. In the wild, these are herbivorous cichlids. Use good quality spirulina vegetable pellets, supplemented with shrimp, mussels, and fish meat.
Sexual maturity at about 3 years of age, although courting begins after 18 months. They spawn usually on a large stone and sometimes inside a cave. During spawning, the male can be aggressive towards the female. They are excellent parents, but may become aggressive towards their fry if ready to spawn again. dH 13-25°; pH 7.5-8.5; T 22-28°C.
Identification: Silver Cichlid — Paraneetroplus argentea.
— Paraneetroplus bifasciatus [Steindachner, 1864] — Twoband Cichlid. Synonyms: Cichlasoma, Astronotus, Theraps bifasciatum; Herichthys, Heros, Paratheraps bifasciatus; Vieja bifasciata. (Eng- Twoband Cichlid). Guatemala, Mexico, in slow-flowing rivers, in close proximity to sandy bottoms. 25 cm, in aquarium 15-20 cm. Greenish-gold with a red chest and belly, yellow and blue colors on the flanks, and spots on the body. Two non-raised wide black stripes run along the body. Fins have dark speckles and a red border. Males are larger than females, with a steeper forehead.
Color morphs: — Paraneetroplus bifasciatus “Rio Chacamax” – body flanks are yellow; — Paraneetroplus bifasciatus “Rio Usumacinta” – with a characteristic blue reticulation over the entire body.
Combining several members of the genus Paraneetroplus is only possible in large aquariums. Fish have a very complex hierarchy; the situation can change even upon the removal of any single fish. Also, adding new cichlids to an established aquarium is a major problem. Juveniles are relatively peaceful, and their aggressiveness increases with age. Fish swim energetically when mature.
A spacious aquarium with a large number of stable shelters is required. Large flower pots and pieces of plastic pipes are also suitable for shelters. Loves to dig in the substrate, so live plants should be excluded immediately; use plastic plants. A layer of duckweed or floating Salvinia can be useful, although fish may also use it as an additional food source. Substrate should consist only of soft sand, as fish search for food in it, passing the sand through their gills. Aggressive towards conspecifics and other fish families.
As with all large cichlids, filtration must be very efficient. Relatively sensitive to high nitrogen content in water. Predominantly herbivorous species. This species should not be fed mammalian meat such as beef heart. Fats contained in meat cannot be metabolized by fish and can lead to excessive obesity. Eggs are laid on a flat stone. Juveniles grow fast and reach up to 5 cm in three months. dH 5-20°; pH 7.0-8.0; T 22-29°C.
— Paraneetroplus breidohri [Werner & Stawikowski, 1987] — Angostura Cichlid. Synonyms: Cichlasoma, Paratheraps, Herichthys, Vieja breidohri. (Eng- Angostura Cichlid). Southern Mexico, Grijalva river basin, Lake Angostura. Males up to 25, females up to 18 cm. Coloration is silvery-bluish-gray, with black and crimson spots. Eyes are red. On the forehead, at eye level, there are two black stripes.
In males, the coloration is blue-steel. The snout of the male has a greenish tint and pink coloration at the front. In young fish, on a grayish background, there are four vertical stripes on the sides; in adults, these stripes almost completely disappear and are often recognizable only as dots. A horizontal stripe runs from the base of the pectoral fin to the base of the tail, especially pronounced during the spawning period. Behind the gills, there is a red rust zone, which in some individuals continues and covers most of the body. This rust-red color also extends to the anal and dorsal fins.
Anal and caudal fins are greenish-blue, the dorsal fin has the body color. During the spawning period, the coloration of the fish becomes contrasting; in females, the entire lower half becomes pitch black, the upper half is gray. Males are larger, higher than females, with a steep forehead, with black spots on the head, belly, and flanks. Females have a darker color and a dorsal fin with a long black area. This area is not always clearly visible.
Large, aggressive cichlids that require a large aquarium. Juveniles can be successfully kept in groups, but aggressive tendencies begin when this fish reaches 10 cm in length. Aggression can be sudden and destructive, subdominant males will be chased to destruction. Do not expect a pair to happily coexist for long periods. Omnivorous, but show a clear preference for plant-based food.
Paraneetroplus fenestratus, guttulatus, hartwegi, maculicauda.
Parachromis managuensis, Parachromis motaguensis. 
