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There is also another problem that isn’t fully
clear and that is the genera in which the fish be-
longs to. For many it has been clear that the fish
was described under both Paratheraps and Vieja.
The name Vieja was widely used as institutions
like the California Academy of Sciences didn’t
recognise Paratheraps as valid so chose to omit
the name in favour of Vieja. However, McMahan
et al 2010 released a paper that constructed a
molecular phylogeny of 90 species of cichlids.
The study concluded that species currently as-
signed to both Paratheraps and Vieja were found
not to be a monophyletic group. All 10 fish as-
signed to said groups are most closely related to
Paraneetroplus bulleri, and therefore suggested
a review of species to re-assign them to the ge-
nus Paraneetroplus? This paper by many is still
open to debate and based on opinion, however,
at the time of writing; although a permanent as-
signment to Paraneetroplus is considered likely;
both names Paratheraps and Vieja are still avail-
able.
I have chosen to describe melanura under the
Vieja complex, because I believe melanura is
more closely related to V. maculicauda than to
P. breidohri the type specimen of Paratheraps.
Let us look at the diagnostic traits between the
groups and Vieja melanura.
Vieja melanura has a long black caudal bar that is
sloped or horizontal which extends just before
the mid body section. The bar is present in juve-
nile and semi adult fish where the bar will break
up into a series of blotches when the fish be-
come mature. Vieja maculicauda differs as they
display a caudal blotch and a dark vertical bar
(blackbelt) from the bottom of the mid belly re-
gion. This dark belly region can be present is
populations of V. melanura, but doesn’t develop
all the way up through the mid- section. Para-
theraps breidohri differs in that it develops a
blotched longitude caudal band that starts from
the caudal base to the operculum region. Para-
theraps bifasciatus is perhaps quite similar to a
other V. melanura populations in that they pos-
sess a reddish coloured head, however, that’s as
far as similarities go. Paratheraps bifasciatus
have a bi lateral stripe; the upper may some-
times develop into a large blotch; the lower
stripe runs from the caudal base to the pectoral
fin base in line with a dark operculum spot al-
ways at a slight curvature. Like V. melanura pop-
ulations, P. bifasciatus boasts much variability.
The Natural Habitat
Vieja melanura distribution occurs on the Atlan-
tic slope in the Del la Pasion River and Lake Pe-
tén basin (Guatemala), also the Grijalva-
Usumacinta river drainage in Mexico, Guatemala
and Belize. They are found in both clear and
murky water in small/large rivers, lakes, cenotes
and coastal marsh lagoons. Colour variations are
noted across the distribution range with faintly
coloured fish from the Yucatan region in the ce-
notes and Lake Bacalar to very colourful red
headed forms in Belize River. The orange morphs
are found in Lake Petén. Many of the large lakes
and rivers where V. melanurus are found will
have slow flowing water with mud and sandy
lake or river bed. Rocks and scattered driftwood
are also reported in V. melanura habitat. A few
species of aquatic vegetation is reported, like
Ceratophyllum sp (Hornwort), Valliseria and
floating Eichhornia sp. (water hyacinth).
The temperature and water chemistry can fluctu-
ate, depending on the type of environment.
Temperature ranges have been measured be-
tween 24c-28C/ 76-83F and both soft and very
hard water, especially in the cenotes. The pH can
range from neutral to high, also in some marsh
lagoons, varying degrees of salt content has been
measured.
Vieja melanura has shown to be present in a
number of different biotopes within its distribu-
tion range, therefore many different cichlid spe-
cies are found sympatric, this includes: Astather-
os robertsoni, Chuco intermedium ,
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