Viva Le Vieja

If you have the space for something that bit bigger and you want a fish that combines both looks and personality, why not seek out these colourful cichlids from Central America?

- Lee Nuttall

Vieja is one of the largest complexes of the Central American family tree, and it was originally described in 1969 by Agustin Fernandez-Yépez. However, the taxonomy of Vieja represents a challenge and we have seen many reviews and reassignments over the years.

Where do they come from?

Most of the species are found on the Atlantic slope of Central America where the river systems will empty into the Atlantic side of the Ocean or, more specifically, the Caribbean Sea. Vieja can be found in many rivers and lakes in the Usumacinta drainages in S. E. Mexico and Guatemala.

Vieja maculicauda is one of the few Central American cichlids which can be found in brackish-water conditions and as a result has naturally colonised most of Caribbean-slope rivers in their lowest reaches all the way to the Panamá Canal.

Both Vieja guttulata and V. zonata are Pacific side species with natural distributions ranges in Mexico and Guatemala. The most Northern range of species is Vieja fenestrata, with a distribution from the Rio la Antigua in the north to Rio Papaloapan in the south, where it has its largest population. Exotic populations have also been reported in more northern ranges at the Rio Cazones Mexico (Juan Miguel 2007).