Hey everyone, let’s talk about Mayans, the Tito of cichlids. I know some call them the fake red terrors but let’s go beyond that and list some of their unique attributes.
Mayan cichlids
- Thread starter Brazzen1
- Start date
Below is a video of Cenote Azul in the Yucatan where they are endemic
I have also seen them in pure salt water in the mangrove of Isla de Mujares off the coast of Mexico.
And below are some living feral near Everglades City in Florida
And below are some living feral near Everglades City in Florida
As Duane mentioned, they can live & be found in full marine environments. From the Yucatan and along the Southern Gulf coast you will find them in pretty much every brackish water estuary. Some certainly as invasive escapees and some possibly as invasive 'self-transplants'. Meaning they can and likely have migrated along the coastlines on their own over the century. They are also not the 'False red terror'. wait.. what? Yep, the Mayan cichlid was not only described 40 years BEFORE the festae and introduced to the hobby decades before the festae, it was also the fish dubbed the 'red terror' first actually making them the actual red terror.
Not a fan never really found them interesting but they taste good..
I have always loved that video. When I referred to them as false red terrors, I was just going by what I’ve seen others call them and what some lfs have them listed as. I was trying to make it easier for those that are just used to seeing them referred to this way. Thing is I’ve never had either but I want both. I’ve only seen a Festae at an lfs in the mall when I was a kid and I couldn’t convince my mom to fork over the $50.