barton's cichlid
Herichthys bartoni
Cichlid endemic to Mexico, from the Pánuco basin, reaching 18 cm and threatened with extinction. It lives in rivers and lagoons.
Also called: ciclídeo-de-barton, mojarra caracolera, media luna cichlid, barton's cichlid
- maximum
- 18 cm
who is the barton's cichlid
Barton's cichlid belongs to the family Cichlidae and reaches 18 cm. It is endemic to the upper Río Verde and the Media Luna lagoon system, in the Pánuco basin, in Mexico. It lives in rivers and lagoons with alkaline water, pH between 7 and 8.5, and does not migrate. It eats small fish, aquatic insects, algae and other invertebrates, so it is omnivorous. It needs plants and stones to hide. Each spawning has 200 to 300 eggs. It is threatened with extinction and appears in the aquarium trade.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the barton's cichlid; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Freshwater cichlid up to 18 cm, living in Mexico, in the upper Río Verde and the Media Luna lagoon system, in the Pánuco basin. It coexists with Herichthys labridens, which reaches 25 cm and lives in the karst spring, so the smaller size helps tell them apart. It occupies rivers and lagoons, with plants and stones to hide in.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Endemic to Mexico, in the upper Río Verde and the Media Luna lagoon system, in the Pánuco basin.
Habitat: Rivers and lagoons with alkaline water, with plants and stones to hide in.
rules for the barton's cichlid
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
It poses no danger to anglers, but the fin spines can prick the hand. As it is threatened, release it quickly, with a wet hand, without keeping the fish out of the water.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01445, b = 3.08; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Herichthys bartoni (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Herichthys bartoniNames by country and language.
