Crenicichla is a genus of cichlids native to South America commonly known as the pike cichlids. They are found in most tropical and subtropical freshwater habitats between the Andes and the Atlantic.
Apistogramma is a large genus of freshwater fish in the family Cichlidae native to South America, but also commonly kept in aquariums. They are dwarf cichlids that mostly feed on tiny animals and have breeding behaviors that vary depending on the exact species.
Aequidens is a genus of fish in the family Cichlidae found in South America. Formerly a wastebasket genus, as presently defined Aequidens is largely restricted to the Amazon Basin, Orinoco Basin and river basins in The Guianas. The only exceptions are A. plagiozonatus which also occurs in the Paraná Basin, and A. tetramerus which also occurs in the Parnaíba River.
Heros is a genus of cichlids native to the Amazon, Orinoco and Essequibo River basins in South America. They were previously included in the genus Cichlasoma before its restriction to the distinct group of "Port Cichlids."
Mikrogeophagus is a genus of cichlids native to the Llanos wetlands and Guaporé–Mamoré river system in tropical South America. They are dwarf cichlids that reach up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in standard length.
Dicrossus is a genus of small cichlid fishes native to rivers in the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. These cichlids have several dark spots on the sides of their bodies. Depending on the species, they typically only reach 4–7 cm (1.6–2.8 in) in length.
Bujurquina is a genus of cichlid fish endemic to South America. Most species in the genus are restricted to the western Amazon Basin. The only exceptions are B. mariae from the Orinoco Basin, and B. oenolaemus and B. vittata from the Paraguay–Paraná Basin.
Cichla orinocensis, sometimes known as the Orinoco peacock bass, is a very large species of cichlid. This peacock bass is native to the Rio Negro and Orinoco River basins in northern South America. It mainly occurs in blackwater rivers. Despite the name, it is not the only peacock bass in the Orinoco, as the river also is home to C. intermedia, C. nigromaculata, and C. temensis. Where it overlaps with the last species, C. orinocensis prefers more slow-moving and shallow waters. They are able to tolerate more turbid waters than other species of peacock bass.
Uaru fernandezyepezi is a species of cichlid native to South America where it is found in rivers of the Orinoco basin. This species can reach a length of 24 centimetres (9.4 in) TL. It is also found in the aquarium trade.
Guianacara is a small genus of cichlid fish endemic to freshwater habitats in the Guiana Shield in South America. They mostly live in moderately flowing clear- or blackwater rivers and streams, but also occur in lagoons that are seasonally flooded. They are typically found over bottoms consisting of sandy patches intermixed with large rocks.
Satanoperca is a small genus of cichlids from South America, where they are known from the Orinoco, Essequibo, Nickerie, Amazon and Paraná–Paraguay river basins. They are mainly found in areas with slow-moving waters, but some species have also been recorded from rapids.
Laetacara is a small genus of cichlids native to freshwater habitats in tropical and subtropical South America, ranging from the upper Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Paraná River basin Argentina. The genus is also collectively known as the smiling acaras. Like all cichlids, Laetacara species have well-developed brood care.
Mesonauta, the flag cichlids, is a small genus of cichlids native to the Amazon, Orinoco, Essequibo, Paraná and Paraguay basins in South America. Mesonauta is included in the subfamily Cichlasomatinae. They occur in various freshwater habitats such as streams and lakes, especially in areas with little water movement and aquatic vegetation. They are generally found in small groups that stay near the water surface. To avoid predators, adults may jump out of the water and juveniles mimic leaves.
The pearl cichlid is a species of fish in the cichlid family. It is native to southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and far northeastern Argentina, where it is found in rivers, lakes, and nearby slightly brackish lagoons. It has been introduced to several countries far from its native range, including the United States, Australia, the Philippines, and Taiwan. This species is popular among aquarists.
Heroini is a fish tribe from the Cichlasomatinae subfamily in the cichlid family. All cichlids native to the Greater Antilles, United States, Mexico and northern Central America are members of this tribe. It also includes most cichlid species in southern Central America and several species from South America. A large percentage of its species were formerly placed in the genus Cichlasoma but have since been moved to other genera.
Andinoacara is a genus of fish in the family Cichlidae. The genus was described in 2009. Before this the members of Andinoacara were placed in the "catch-all" genus Aequidens although they are not closely related to the other members of this genus. The genus Andinoacara is restricted to freshwater habitats in northwestern South America and southern Central America. There are no members of the genus in the Amazon Basin.
Apistogramma macmasteri is a dwarf cichlid in the tribe Geophagini, one of the tribes of the subfamily of American cichlids, the Cichlinae. It is a freshwater fish that lives in the rivers Guaytiquía and Metica in the Meta River system. The Meta river system is a part of the Orinoco basin in Colombia. They live in areas with soft sandy bottom and plenty of dead roots and branches in the water. Plants are uncommon in areas where Apistogramma macmasteri is found.
Mazarunia is a genus of cichlids from the Mazaruni River, a tributary of the Essequibo River in Guyana. They are dwarf cichlids that do not surpass 8.5 cm (3.3 in) in length.
Anablepsoides is a genus of killifish in the family Rivulidae native to tropical South America and the Lesser Antilles. The majority are from the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as freshwater systems in the Guiana Shield, but a few species are from northern Venezuela, northeastern Brazil and the Lesser Antilles. Although largely restricted to lowlands, a few species occur in the lower East Andean foothills. They are mostly found in shallow fresh water swamps, streams, edges of rivers, ponds and pools, but a few may occur in brackish estuaries. They are able to jump over land and breathe air for short periods, allowing them to access isolated waters inhabited by few or no other fish. Several Anablepsoides species have small distributions and some are seriously threatened by habitat loss; the entire known range of A. xinguensis is in the area flooded by the Belo Monte Dam.
Geophagini is a tribe of cichlids from the subfamily Cichlinae, the American cichlids. It is the sister taxon to the clade which includes the Cichlasomatini and Heroini. Fishes in the Geophagini are distributed from Panama south to Argentina, it is the most speciose of the seven tribes within the Cichlinae and it is subdivided into three sub-tribes, Acarichthyina, Crenicaratina, and Geophagina which together contain over 200 species. Geophagines show morphological and behavioural specialisations to enable them to sift the substrates within their mouths so that they can separate benthic invertebrates from substrates dominated by sand or silt.
