Hypselecara

Hypselecara temporalis

Hypselecara is a genus of South American cichlids. The range of the genus includes the Amazon Basin, French Guyana and the upper Orinoco. The genus name is derived from " hypselos " ( Gr. for high) and "Acara ", the Guaraní name for cichlids and refers to the hochrückige shape of the fish.

Features

Hypselecara species are medium-sized cichlids and reach body lengths of about 30 cm. Females are much smaller. Your body is oval, laterally flattened and high, the head has a steep, rounded brow line. Colored markers, like a black longitudinal band, as well as one dark spot in the center of the body sides and on the tail are, depending on mood is not always visible. Males are deep-bodied and can make a big forehead hump in old age. Juveniles are pointed -headed and have a gray -brown color. A characteristic feature of the genus are a konstrastreiche staining and bright red eye coloration during the breeding.

Reproduction

Similar to Cichlasoma species are the Hypselecara substrate spawners. They spawn primarily on inclined or vertical surfaces and form a mother's family, the females especially care directly to the nest, while the male guards the territory. The larvae hatch in about three days and then embedded in a dug in the ground pit. After another seven days they swim freely.

System

The genus Hypselecara 1986 was prepared by the Swedish ichthyologist Sven O. Kullander for two originally the genus Cichlasoma attributed species. As the flag cichlids ( Mesonauta ), scalars ( Pterophyllum ) and the discus cichlid (Symphysodon ) belongs Hypselecara within the New World cichlids ( Cichlinae ) for Tribus Heroini.

So far, two types have been described:

  • Hypselecara Coryphaenoides ( Heckel, 1840)
  • Emerald cichlid ( Hypselecara temporalis ( Günther, 1862) ) ( type species )
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