Yellowjacket cichlid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellowjacket cichlid |
|
|---|---|
_-_Carwash_Cenote_QR.jpg) |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
The yellowjacket cichlid (scientific name: Parachromis friedrichsthalii) is a type of cichlid fish. It lives in Central America, specifically along the Atlantic coast from western Honduras to northern Guatemala. This fish can grow up to about 28 centimeters (11 inches) long. People enjoy catching yellowjacket cichlids for sport, and they are also sometimes kept as aquarium pets. The fish was named after Emanuel von Friedrichsthal, an Austrian explorer who sent many animal samples from Central America to Vienna.
How the Yellowjacket Cichlid Hunts
The yellowjacket cichlid has a very clever and unusual way of hunting. It often lies very still near the bottom of the water, pretending to be dead. When smaller fish come close, thinking they can nibble on a dead fish, the yellowjacket cichlid suddenly attacks them! This surprise attack is called an ambush. Other fish, like some cichlids from Lake Malawi (especially those in the Nimbochromis group), also use this "play dead" hunting trick.
What Does a Yellowjacket Cichlid Look Like?
Yellowjacket cichlids look a lot like other fish in their group, such as P. managuensis and P. motaguensis. They all have a dark band that runs across their body.
How to Identify a Yellowjacket Cichlid
The easiest way to tell a yellowjacket cichlid apart is its bright golden-yellow color. This color is much more noticeable on them than on other similar fish.
However, another fish called P. loiselli also has gold and yellow colors. To tell these two apart, look at the dark band on the yellowjacket cichlid. It is a clear, unbroken line. On P. loiselli, the dark spots are often so close together that they look like a solid band, but it's actually made of many spots. Also, P. loiselli usually has a main body color that is a solid yellow, which is different from other fish in this group.
