blackbelt cichlid
Vieja maculicauda · Cichlidae · omnivore
Central American cichlid that tolerates brackish water and is caught commercially. Reaches 25 cm and lives in slow-flowing rivers and lagoons.
Also called: ciclídeo-cinturão-negro, palometa, vieja, boca colorada, blackbelt cichlid
- maximum
- 25 cm
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the blackbelt cichlid
who is the blackbelt cichlid
Cichlid of the family Cichlidae reaching 25 cm. It occurs on the Atlantic slope of Central America, from the Usumacinta River in Guatemala to the Chagres River in Panama, in rivers and lakes. It moves to the lower reaches of river valleys, with slow current, and prefers mud and sand bottoms, sheltering among submerged logs and branches. It tolerates brackish water and even marine conditions, so it also occurs in estuaries. It eats bottom detritus, aquatic and land plants, seeds and fruit. Both parents care for the young. It is caught commercially, farmed in aquaculture and sold for 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 blackbelt cichlid; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Each spawning has 600 to 1,000 fry, and both parents care for the young.
identification
Robust cichlid, up to 25 cm, from the Atlantic slope of Central America. It lives in slow-flowing rivers, among submerged logs, and tolerates brackish water. The scientific name refers to a spot on the tail. In the same region, guapotes are fish predators, while this species eats mostly plants and bottom detritus, which helps tell them apart.
where found
Atlantic slope of Central America, from the Usumacinta River in Guatemala to the Chagres River in Panama, in fresh and brackish water, with records in Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua.
Habitat: Slow-flowing rivers and lagoons, with mud and sand bottoms and submerged logs, reaching brackish areas.
rules for the blackbelt 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. Hold it by the body, with a wet hand, and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02692, b = 3.03; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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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: Vieja maculicauda (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Vieja maculicaudaNames by country and language.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: