Redhead Cichlid, Vieja melanura
Redhead Cichlid, Vieja melanura. Fish caught from a fresh water pond in Guatemala City, Guatemala, May 2018. Length: 7.5 cm (3.0 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Josh Leisen (joshadventures.com), Gaylord, Michigan.
Redhead Cichlid, Vieja melanura. Fish caught from a fresh water pond in Ruskin, Florida, May 2018. Length: 12.3 cm (4.8 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ryan Crutchfield, Tampa, Florida.
Redhead Cichlid, Vieja melanura, Juvenile. Fish caught out of a residential canal in the greater Miami, Florida area, August 2018. Length: 12.7 cm (5.0 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Kenneth Tse, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Redhead Cichlid, Vieja melanura. Fish caught out from a meadow in the greater Hotsprings, Utah area, June 2018. Length: 14 cm (5.5 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.
Redhead Cichlid, Vieja melanura. Fish caught out of a residential canal in the greater Miami, Florida area, August 2018. Length: 25.4 cm (10.0 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Kenneth Tse, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Note the great similarities in this fish compared to the first fish posted on this page with the exception of the absence of the characteristic posterior stripe.
Redhead Cichlid, Vieja melanura. Underwater photograph taken in Cenote Azul, Quintana Roo, December 2020. Photograph and identification courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
The Redhead Cichlid, Vieja melanura, is a member of the Cichlid and Tilapia or Cichlidae Family, that is also known as the Blacktail Cichlid and in Mexico as mojarra paletao. Globally, there are eight species in the genus Vieja, of which six are found in the freshwater systems of Mexico.
The Redhead Cichlid has an elongated, deep, oval-shaped, and compressed body with a shape similar to that of an elongated bluegill. They have 2 morphs within their native range – the yellow morph is found in clear water throughout the range and the red morph that is limited to the lowland areas of the Grijalva River and associated lagoons in the State of Tabasco. The key to their identification is the presence of a single dark horizontal stripe that extends from the caudal fin base to mid-body. This stripe can also appear as a series of connected dark blotches that separate into individual blotches near the anterior end. In very mature adults (as photographed below) can be absent. In most live stages the males and females are similar in appearances; however, they are dimorphic with males becoming larger than females that also develop a forehead bump with maturity. They have a small horizonal mouth with a slightly projecting upper jaw that is highly protrusible that is equipped with conical or cylindrical teeth. Their anal fin has 5 or 6 spines and 8 to 11 rays; their caudal peduncle is short and wide; their dorsal fin has 15 to 18 spines and 10 to 14 rays and is continuous; and, their pectoral fins are short and do not reach the anal fin origin. They have 7 to 15 gill rakers. They are covered with scales. Their lateral line has two straight overlapping sections.
The Redhead Cichlid is found in large bodies of water including lagoons, big rivers and area of slow moving water in the lowland drainage areas, including brackish water, of affluence of the Gulf of Mexico. They are normally found over mud and sandy substrate with or without plant life, with temperatures between 24oC (75oF) and 30oC (86oF). They reach a maximum of 35 cm (14 inches) in length with captive fish being larger than those found in the wild. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 0.54 kg (1 lb 3 oz) with the fish caught within an irrigation canal in the greater Loxahatchee area of Loxahatchee, Florida in August 2022. Those in the wild are herbivores consuming algae, detritus and vegetable matter; those in captivity are omnivores. Reproduction involves monogamous parents that are substrate brooders. They utilize nests with females and males making runs over the nest depositing eggs followed by fertilization. The eggs are yellowish and are 2.2 mm in length. Each female produces up to 1,000 eggs per year.
In Mexico the Redhead Cichlid is a native to the Atlantic Usumacinata River drainage and are currently found in the Mexican States of Campeche, Chiapas and Tabasco. This fish is highly invasive has now taken up residence in the State of Florida which is presumed to be due to from aquarium releases.
The Redhead Cichlid is most likely confused with the Black Belt Cichlid, Vieja maculicauda (lacks the long black caudal band) and can be differentiated from other four (Vieja breidohri, Vieja fenestrate, Vieja guttulata, and Vieja zonata) other members of the Vieja Genus found in Mexican waters via the unique length of the caudal band.
From a conservation perspective the Redhead Cichlid has not been formally evaluated but should be considered to be of Least Concern with stable to expanding widely distributed populations. They can be caught by hook and line on light tackle as an inadvertent by-catch. They are utilized by the aquarium trade and easy to maintain but require large volumes of water. The juveniles are drab in color but grow rapidly and become highly colored and very attractive as they mature. Within two years they will normally reproduce in captivity.