Vieja melanura—
one name, two species?
article & images by Michael Pilack • Vieja melanura is considered a taxon that has
“swallowed” two previously described species, Heros melanurus and Cichlasoma synspilum.
But is V. melanura actually a single species, or are two species hiding within it?Two rival male Redhead
Cichlids, Vieja melanura
(formerly Heros melanurus)
in the author’s aquarium.Ornithologist Osbert Salvin traveled through Central America between 1859 and 1861. In addition to
birds, he was interested in the reptiles and fishes of the area and collected a large number of freshwater
fishes in Guatemala. His collection, together with the specimens of Dow and Godman, were given to
the British Museum in London. From 1857 to 1895, Dr. Albert C. L. G. Günther led the ichthyological
department of the museum. One of the most important ichthyologists of all time, he was concerned with
cataloging and describing the individual specimens. Among them are several between 3 and 9 inches (7–25
cm) long, which Salvin had collected in Lago Petén Itzá. Günther described these animals as follows:
“Orange or purplish-brown, with a continuous or irregular deep black band along the middle of the tail;
sometimes there is a series of black blotches on the back. In mature specimens the lower parts of the head,
belly, and tail are all deep black. The dorsal, caudal and pectoral fins are orange or purplish-brown, with a
few scattered spots posteriorly; the anal and ventral fins are black.” Günther called the new species Heros
melanurus. Melanurus comes from the Greek and means “black tail.”REPORTAGE
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