Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 23, 2026

Cryptoheros

Cryptoheros is a genus of small cichlid fishes from Central America and southeast Mexico. They reach up to 13 cm (5.1 in) in length.

Last revised
Jun 23, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
306 w
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Source
Cryptoheros
Cryptoheros sajica
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cichliformes
Family: Cichlidae
Subfamily: Cichlinae
Tribe: Heroini
Genus: Cryptoheros
Allgayer, 2001
Type species
Heros spilurus
Günther, 1862

Cryptoheros is a genus of small cichlid fishes from Central America and southeast Mexico. They reach up to 13 cm (5.1 in) in length.1

Taxonomy and species

The genus formerly contained nine species that had been included within the genus Archocentrus.2 The convict cichlid has sometimes been placed within the genus Cryptoheros as well, but is now considered a member of the genus Amatitlania.34 Several other species such as Amatitlania septemfasciata and Amatitlania sajica had also once been included within Cryptoheros.2

FishBase currently recognizes four species in this genus:1

C. panamenis is placed in the subgenus Panamius within Cryptoheros. However, genetic analysis by Říčan, et al. revealed that C. panamensis is not closely related to the other species that are included in Cryptoheros. They recommended that Panamius should be elevated to a full genus, meaning that C. panamensis becomes Panamius panamensis.4

References

References