Hypsophrys nicaraguensis | |
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cichliformes |
Family: | Cichlidae |
Tribe: | Heroini |
Genus: | Hypsophrys |
Species: | H. nicaraguensis
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Binomial name | |
Hypsophrys nicaraguensis (
Günther, 1864)
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Synonyms [1] | |
Hypsophrys nicaraguensis, the moga, is a species of cichlid native to the Atlantic slope of Central America, from Nicaragua to Costa Rica. [1] The species is a popular aquarium fish and is traded under a variety of common names that include nickie, parrot cichlid, macaw cichlid, butterfly cichlid, Nicaraguan cichlid and nicaraguense. [1] In Costa Rica it is known as a vieja. [2]
Hypsophrys nicaraguensis is able to protrude its jaw to 3.8% of its standard length limiting its diet to only 1% evasive prey. [3]
The species was formerly the only representative of its genus, and is part of family Cichlidae in subfamily Cichlasomatinae. [1] However, the Poor man's tropheus, formerly Neetroplus nematopus, has also been placed into the genus Hypsophrys, as Hypsophrys nematopus. [4]
It occurs in the Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge. [2]