overview
who is the mexican mojarra (ciclídeo-maia)
Cichlid of the Atlantic slope of Mesoamerica, from southern Mexico, including the Yucatán Peninsula, to Nicaragua. It lives in freshwater swamps, mangroves, coastal lagoons, canals, and rivers; it tolerates brackish water and low oxygen and cannot survive water below about 14 °C. It mainly eats small fish and invertebrates, such as shrimp, snails, and insects. The pair chooses a shallow nest, guards eggs and fry for four to six weeks, and becomes very aggressive during that phase; the breeding season in Mexico is longer than in Florida. FishBase lists it as a commercial, aquaculture, and sport species, and the Mexican inland fishing standard includes it among the native species of commercial fishing in the Malpaso (Chiapas) and Temascal (Oaxaca) reservoirs. Introduced in Florida since 1983, many anglers see it as a hard-fighting fish, and some see it as a nuisance for the larger fish anglers want.
fun facts
- The scientific name urophthalmus means "eye on the tail," because of the ocellus.
- It can live in water from zero to 40 ppt salt and withstands sharp drops in oxygen.
- The parents guard the brood for four to six weeks and perform calling displays directed at the young.
how to recognize it
identification
Oval, laterally compressed body, yellowish to olive-brown background, with 6 to 8 dark blue vertical bars (7 is most common), often with a pale edge. The sign that gives the species its name is the ocellus, a black spot at the base of the tail with a bluish or pale ring; the tail is rounded and the dorsal fin often has a red edge. During spawning, the throat and belly turn pink to red. The yellow guapote (Parachromis friedrichsthalii) is more elongated, has a large mouth, and has aligned spots instead of bars.
how mexican mojarra (ciclídeo-maia) fishing looks
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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.
