The T-bar Cichlid is a Central American species of cichlids found in freshwater streams and lakes on the Pacific slope of Costa Rica. The fish is tan coloured with seven indistinct bars on the body. The third bar is usually prominent and coupled with a dark lateral stripe running from the gill cover results in a horizontal T - shaped mark- hence the common name of T-bar cichlid. Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa Orthonectida Rhombozoa Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria (unranked) Acoelomorpha Myxozoa Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata Hemichordata Echinodermata Chaetognatha Superphylum Ecdysozoa Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Nematoda Nematomorpha Onychophora Tardigrada Arthropoda Superphylum Platyzoa Platyhelminthes Gastrotricha Rotifera Acanthocephala Gnathostomulida Micrognathozoa Cycliophora Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Sipuncula Nemertea Phoronida Bryozoa... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders See text The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. ... Families many, see text The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, include about 40% of all fish and are the largest order of vertebrates. ... Genera Apistogramma - Dwarf Cichlids Astronotus (Oscars) Boulengerochromis Cichlasoma - American Ciclids Crenicichla Pterophyllum - Freshwater Angelfish Symphysodon - Discus Teleogramma Tilapia Cichlids are a family of perciform fishes. ... Archocentrus is a small genus of cichlid fishes from Central America. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... Genera Apistogramma - Dwarf Cichlids Astronotus (Oscars) Boulengerochromis Cichlasoma - American Ciclids Crenicichla Pterophyllum - Freshwater Angelfish Symphysodon - Discus Teleogramma Tilapia Cichlids are a family of perciform fishes. ... For the village on the Isle of Wight, see Freshwater, Isle of Wight. ... A running stream. ... A man-made lake in Keukenhof, Netherlands A lake is a body of water or other liquid of considerable size surrounded by land. ...

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Photo Credit: Teigler, Frank (FishBase Collaborator)

Environment

The T-bar Cichlid inhabits rivers which have moderate to strong currents in Costa Rica. In the aquarium, they is not found in the rapids. Prefers smaller rocks and gravel. Found up to 2000 feet of elevation. Omnivorous, feeding on algal filaments, aquatic insects, seeds and bottom detritus.

Breeding

Male Sajicas get up to 5". Mature females that are ready to spawn have a beautiful golden yellow color on their dorsal and anal fins.

These fish exhibits a version of Cichlid cave spawning behavior. They pair off with a dance in which the male swimming parallel to the female. The males can be really tough on a female that is not ready to spawn, to the point where he may kill her. The female will find a secluded shelter to lay many eggs such as a large crevice between rocks or a nest dug in the gravel. The male will then fertilize the eggs and then aggressively protect them from any other fish which come near.

Fry

Upon hatching after 3 days from the female laying the eggs, the fry will attempt to swim with the egg enclosed around its body. Eventually, the fry will resemble tiny versions of their parents. The female and male ocassionaly move the fry in their mouth to the nest if they stray to far from it, however the male might eat a few of them.

External links

• FishBase Species Summary. [2].
• Aquarium Life Fish Profile.

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• FishBase Fish Photograph.

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