Heros (fish)

Heros is a genus of cichlids native to the Amazon, Orinoco and Essequibo River basins in South America.[1] They were previously included in the genus Cichlasoma before its restriction to the distinct group of "Port Cichlids."

Heros
Heros sp. Rotkeil
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cichliformes
Family: Cichlidae
Tribe: Heroini
Genus: Heros
Heckel, 1840
Type species
Heros severus
Heckel, 1840

The Heros species most commonly encountered in the aquarium trade are fish referable to the species Heros efasciatus. However, the trade name generally used is "Severum Cichlids." Trade fish are very often line bred specimens of color sports such as "Super Red Severums" or "Gold Severums." The provenance of these is not clear, but they seem to have been derived from the base "Green Severum" form that is most closely identified with H. efasciatus.

Species

There are currently five recognized species in this genus:[2]

Many authorities also cite a previously described species, Heros appendiculatus. It has a form quite distinct from H. efasciatus but was synonymized with H. efasciatus by Dr. Sven O. Kullander. Another color form, Heros sp. Rotkeil ("Red Shoulder") is thought by hobby specialists to represent an undescribed Heros species.

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References
  1. Staeck, W. & Schindler, I. (2015): Description of a new Heros species (Teleostei, Cichlidae) from the Rio Orinoco drainage and notes on Heros severus Heckel, 1840. Bulletin of Fish Biology, 15 (1/2): 121-136.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2017). Species of Heros in FishBase. January 2017 version.
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