Scientific Name
Mesonauta festivus

Common Name
Flag cichlid

Biology
Reported to reach around 10 cm SL (Ref. 81048). Tapajos (NRM) specimens were taken from a sandy shore at Aveiro and a small creek at Santarem, close to vegetation and with mud and sand bottom; Vila Bela da Santfssima Trinidade (NRM) specimens were seined in the shadow of the ferry, in shallow water with much aquatic vegetation; while from Madre de Dios, one sample was seined from a pool in a stream with clear, slightly tinted water and no vegetation; another, mixed sample came from a small stream and nearby cattle pool (Ref. 86444).

Classification

Classified By

Heckel, 1840

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Cichlids (Cichlidae)

Distribution

Region

South America

Distribution

South America: Paran? River basin, in the Paraguay River drainage in Brazil and Paraguay; Amazon River basin, in the Guapor? (Brazil and Bolivia), Madre de Dios (Peru), Mamor? (Bolivia), Jamari and Tapaj?s (Brazil) River drainages.

Range

Unknown

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

25 °C

Water Temperature To

34 °C

Depth From - meters

Unknown m

Depth To - meters

Unknown m

Zone

benthopelagic

Environment

Freshwater; ; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 4 - 6 benthopelagic; non-migratory

Trophic Level

2.51 s.e. 0.23 Based on food items.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

False

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

False

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

8.2 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5156 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Aquarium: highly commercial

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (12 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tm

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated