Leaf Litter in geophagus tank

[duanes]

The Geophagines are considered a tribe (Geophagini) in the family Cichlinae, and include a number of genre, such as Gymnogeophagus, Acarichthys, Satanoperca, and of course Geophagus, and many others.
one of the Gymnogeophagus

a Geophagus from the altifrons clade

Guianacara

 

[duanes]

The Geophagines are considered a tribe (Geophagini) in the family Cichlinae, and include a number of genre, such as Gymnogeophagus, Acarichthys, Satanoperca, and of course Geophagus, and many others.
one of the Gymnogeophagus

a Geophagus from the altifrons clade

Guianacara

 

[Lilyann]

Oh, okay, I get it. A "tribe," how unusual. I am attempting to become more specific in how I refer to fish, but, there is a huge learning curve that would take a life-time to master.

 

[neutrino]

Such terms have to do with genetic relationships and (often theoretical) lineage. In another group are the "Heroine" cichlids, which includes but isn't limited to more or less disc shaped fish, like angelfish, discus, severums (or more correctly, Heros species), Mesonauta, Uarau. It's a diabolically tricky science and it can be maddening trying to keep up as a species or genus is shunted from one group to another and sometimes back again, with names changed in the process. Family trees suggested by one scientist can be different from that suggested by another and proposed lineages often change over time.

Fish that look similar aren't always closely related, while very different looking fish can be related, or very similar looking (or behaving) fish can be in completely different groups. For example, last I looked, Jack Dempsey cichlids (Rocio octofasciata) were in the Heroine group and firemouth cichlids, which resemble Geophagines, are in the Heroine (not Geophagine) group, and the literature I've seen has Retrcoulus in their own group (Retroclini), not within the Geophagine group, despite their resemblance.

 

[Lilyann]

Thank you for that description. The more I find out, the more an eventual understanding of the classifications and proper names seems impossible. I will do my best

 

[neutrino]

Some of it comes naturally with time ime. I used to keep up with it more, but a few years ago I started another hobby with its own learning curve, so I've downsized the fish a bit.

(huh, just noticed my typo above, was supposed to be Uaru, not Uurau.)