Publication2 med aquascape Publication1cs complete | Page 129

Introduction
Currently I have more than a passing interest
in Central American cichlids with many of my
aquaria being dedicated to these magnificent
beasts. One species that has stood out in its
behaviour, appearance and general demean-
our is Vieja maculicauda, the humble Black
Belt cichlid. Described by Regan in 1905 in his
seminal work “A revision of the fish of the
American cichlid genus Cichlasoma and the
allied Genera” the Black Belt was named for
the black blotch at the base of its caudal fin
(maculi – spotted cauda – tail – Vieja is the
local name for large cichlids although it actu-
ally refers to old women in Spanish). Cichla-
soma globosum and Cichlasoma nigritum are
both synonyms for this species which may
pop up in aquatic stores or old literature.
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