Amatitlania is a small genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of cichlid

Cichlid

Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...

 fishes from Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

. The genus currently contains four species. The genus is closely related to Archocentrus

Archocentrus

Archocentrus is a small genus of cichlid fishes from Central America. The genus currently contains 3 species. It formerly included 7 of the species now included in the genus Cryptoheros, as well as the convict cichlid, now included in the genus Amatitlania. The Rainbow Cichlid, Archocentrus...

 and Cryptoheros

Cryptoheros

Cryptoheros is a small genus of cichlid fishes from Central America and southeast Mexico. The genus currently contains 9 species. It includes species formerly included within the genus Archocentrus. The convict cichlid has sometimes been placed within the genus Cryptoheros as well, but is now...

, and contains the convict cichlids that were previously placed in those genera. The genus was erected by Juan Schmitter-Soto in 2007 based on a study of the Archocentrus complex

Species complex

A species complex is a group of closely related species, where the exact demarcation between species is often unclear or cryptic owing to their recent and usually still incomplete reproductive isolation. Ring species, superspecies and cryptic species complex are example of species complex...

. However, a 2008 study led by Oldrich Rican has suggested that all the species in Cryptoheros and Amatitlania should be moved into the genus Hypsophrys

Hypsophrys

Hypsophrys is a small genus of cichlid fishes from Central America. The genus currently contains 2 species. It originally contained just H. nicaraguensis but was revised in 2007 to include the poor man's tropheus, or neet, H...

.

Species

• Convict cichlid
  Convict cichlid
  The Convict cichlid is a fish species from the family Cichlidae, native to Central America, also known as the zebra cichlid...
  
  , Amatitlania nigrofasciata
  Convict cichlid
  The Convict cichlid is a fish species from the family Cichlidae, native to Central America, also known as the zebra cichlid...
  
   Günther, 1867, from El Salvador
  El Salvador
  El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
  
   to Guatemala
  Guatemala
  Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
  
   on the Pacific side of Central America and from Honduras
  Honduras
  Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
  
   to Guatemala on the Atlantic side
• Honduran Red Point Convict, Amatitlania siquia, from Atlantic Honduras to Costa Rica
• Amatitlania coatepeque, from Lake Coatepeque in El Salvador, and
• Amatitlania kanna, from the Atlantic side of Panama
  Panama
  Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
  
  

Previously in this genus:

• Archocentrus centrarchus
• Rainbow cichlid, Archocentrus multispinosus
• Archocentrus spinosissimus

• Cryptoheros altoflavus
• Cryptoheros chetumalensis
• Cryptoheros cutteri
• Cryptoheros myrnae
• Cryptoheros nanoluteus
• Cryptoheros panamensis
• T-bar cichlid, Cryptoheros sajica
  Cryptoheros sajica
  The T-bar cichlid , also known as Sajica cichlid is a Central American species of cichlid found in freshwater streams and lakes on the Pacific slope of Costa Rica. It was formerly known as Archocentrus sajica, but the taxonomy was revised as a result of a study by Juan Schmitter-Soto. The fish is...
  
  '
• Cryptoheros septemfasciatus
  Cryptoheros septemfasciatus
  Cryptoheros septemfasciatus is a fish species in the cichlid family. It is found on the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica, between the San Juan River drainage and the Banano River...
  
  
• Cryptoheros spilurus