Festae (aka. Red Terror )

As for scientific names  cichlids go through them like there going out of style!!... that's why this fish is more commonly known as the Festae which is the later part of it's scientific name and the only part of it's scientific name that it keep's.. the Festae has gone through many generic names like Cichlasoma, Parapentenia, Pentenia, Nandopis and probably many others.. i suppose your wanting a pic by now so here it is...

Photo from JAWS
so what do you think?? pretty cool huh??
after seeing this u will also realise that the background image is also a Festae....ok while i'm on the topic of the Festae i will introduce another cichlid species.. the Infamous Fake Festae.. this is because  these two fish both have the same common name and look some what identical bar a couple of features.. and as the Festae is obviously more superior, this other fish which i'm about to introduce too got branded with the name Fake Festae.... oh well her it is the next fish on my list

Urophthalmus (aka. Fake Festae, Red Terror, Uro)

Ok as for scientific names the same goes for this fish as the Festae.. but Urophthalmus is the last part of the name that it keeps....
there are several ways to tell, apart these two similar species... the first and most popular is the eye spot on there tail.. it's simple the Uro's eye spot covers almost all the cudal part... and a Festae's only covers about half... though i do have a Festae that as an eye spot which crosses the halfway mark so if the eye spot is a bit iffy look to the next method   (u should be able to see the difference in the two species from the pic of the Festae above and the pic of the Uro below)   ...the next method being the dark vertical bars.. a Festae has one broken "Y" shaped bar near it's head... kinda like a convict.. and the Uro obviously doesn't have this "Y" shaped bar  (use the two pic's to compare)  there is also the matter of colour  a Festae will  "NORMALLY" show much more colour than a Uro but this is not always the case..... anyway here is the pic

Photo by Mark Beckberger
see how the eye spot is overly big and there is no "Y" shaped bar?
 
ok next fish....

Trimaculatum (aka. Trimac or Three Spot Cichlid)
ok this is another one of my favorites.. well there all my favorites that's why there on my page.... but here goes.. i  this cichlid can get mighty big and mighty fast.... it's quite a nice looking fish... but it requires a person of a special nature to find it a beautiful fish... though most fish that are a little lack make up heaps in character... the Trimac does that exactly... it is one of the more Aggressive cichlids.. it's actually probably number 6 in the most aggressive cichlid list... so i guess this fish isn't your average tetra....  here is a pic of Jeff Rapps prize winning 14" Trimac...

Photo by CNP at The Cichlid Scene

Photo from Real Cichlids Don't Eat Quiche
ok on we go...
Splendadia (aka. Bay Snook , Red Bay Snook or Snooks)
i like to call them Snooks and hardly anyone calls them Splendadia but i'm just listing all the fish using the scientific name that stay's with them no matter what genus they are moved to next... the Snook is a rather peaceful cichlid ....as far as a peaceful cichlid can get..... that's one of those Oxymoron's... where two parts of a saying contradict each other.. i mean most people will say how can u have a peaceful cichlid... anyway there's a little bit of English that i can pass on to you.. it's probably the only bit i learnt in 13 years of School... anyway back to fish.... this is a Big fish as well reaching about 24" for males and 16" for females... so therefore this cichlids probably the biggest wuss in the cichlid world.. both new and old... though in telling u this this isn't always true like all fish it depends on there nature.. but for the snooks an aggressive specimen is an exception rather than the rule... it is also one of the rarer kept cichlids... it comes in 2 natural forms ...a Red form and an ordinary form....
here is a pic of the red form

Photo from Real Cichlids Don't Eat Quiche
please continue...

Umbriferum (aka. Umbie, Blue Freckled Cichlid )
now the Umbie... this i would have to say is the King ...forget Elvis... meet the Umbriferum..... the Umbie has the potential to grow 36+"
but they need a very very large tank and i'd be suggesting about 1000 gals for a 3 ft Umbie..... they are also one of the most stunning cichlids ever... whilst they are the ugliest cichlids ever from eggs till about 16" after that they look awesome...... i  guess there size makes them awesome more than there looks... but the size enhances there looks 100 times... this is also No. 1 on my aggressive cichlid list..... but whilst it's No. 1 it doesn't become aggressive till it reaches a good 16" before that there still aggressive but nothing compared to when there 24+" it's multiplied 100 times just like there looks.. maybe as the look better they get more confidant.... but i'm not a fish shrink so i dunno...
here is a pic..
 
  Photo from Real Cichlids Don't Eat Quiche

Dovii (aka. Wolf Cichlid)
this is The Dovii.... probably a cichlid with the largest reputation due to people like Jeff Rapps hauling beast's to fish shows around america and also al ot of fishy stories... one of the aspects of it's reputation is it's character ....... another aspect is it's aggression and it's huge mouthful of teeth.. this is the 3rd biggest cichlid and No. 2 on the aggression list... here is a short article on a dovii's ....meet Pablo  here's some pic's

Photo from Real Cichlids Don't Eat Quiche
this is a typical Dovii male... notice the spots....

Photo from Aquaria Central
This is a typical female Dovii notice the lack of spot's and the really solid horizontal bar.. much more defined than the males...
 
Managuenese (aka. Jaguar Cichlid)
This is one of the more common large cichlids..... being a favorite for many.... this is mainly due to it's outstanding colour pattern and character.... this cichlid can grow quite large reaching 16" there are two forms a gold form and normal white form ....here are some pic's.. This is the normal white form of the Jaguar....

Photo from Real Cichlids Don't Eat Quiche
This is the gold form...

Photo by CNP at The Cichlid Scene
This is the gold form...
 

Haitiensis (aka. Black Nasty or Odo)
This is another rare cichlid... but also one of my favorites... and i would definitely have these in my tanks if i could get them... but due to Australian import laws... i have been denied the pleasure of keeping this awesome cichlid.... it is generally small in size but has the capability of reaching 16" as proven by Jeff Rapps who showed a 16 " male.... here is a pic of it..

Photo by CNP at The Cichlid Scene
Beani (aka. Green Guapote)
This is another one of my Favorites that i cant have cause of our stupid import laws...... well i suppose there not stupid.. their there for a reason... and there only stupid when i want a fish i can get..... this is another fish that isn't huge in the hobby but yet ...it should be.. it's hard to say what the attraction is for this fish..... but yet it truly is an awe inspiring cichlid... here are some pic's....

Photo from JAWS

ok keep moving on...
 

these next four fish are from a group i like to call the small Guapote...... they aren't really small at all... but with a maximum size of 12" for Guapotes they are considered small.... all these fish have are a close relation to the popular Jaguar Cichlid...
Motaguense (aka. Red Tiger Cichlid or Mot's)
this fish is probably the most common and most popular small guapote..and also the most aggressive.. here is a article on breeding Mot's ...there is also another article here..... here are some pic's..

Photo from Real Cichlids Don't Eat Quiche
 

Friedrichsthalii (aka. Freddy)
this is another favorite of mine... and i'm even lucky enough to be able to keep them..... but!!! it's still bloody hard to find any... and i have been on the look out for quite sometime now.... Freddy has probably the best markings of all the small guapotes... well at least that's what i think... have a look for your self..

Photo from  The Cichlid Aquarium by Dr Paul Loiselle, Tetra Press 1985 at
One Fish Two fish
Loisellei
The Loisellei is very similar to the Freddy and is often sold mistakenly as Friedrichsthalii.... but they wont make that mistake here as you aren't able to get Loisellei in Australia yet ...this is another fish i would have if i could get it.... it's bright orange colour is awesome... have a look..

Photo from JAWS

Tetracanthus (aka. The Cuban or Cuban Cichlid)
i used to think this cichlid boring... but since seeing a number of specimens i have definitely changed my mind.... this cichlid look a lot like the Jaguar... and not so much like the three Cichlids above... it is the only one of the four to get some Blue colour... here are some pic's..

Photo from  The Cichlid Aquarium by Dr Paul Loiselle, Tetra Press 1985 at
One Fish Two fish
These next group of cichlids are all very similar.... and often crossbreed..... so i must stress that they be kept together only if all are males or all are females!!.... this group in general is more peaceful than the larger guapotes..... i don't know a lot about these cichlids but here's some picks... and a little of what i do know..

Bifaciatus (aka. Red Spot Cichlid or Bi)
One of my favorites of this group..... they also grow like weeds.. my 1" Bi grew to 3" in  two weeks.... here are some pic's

Photo from The Cichlid Room Companion

Synspilum (aka. Red Headed Cichlid or Quetzal)
this is probably the most popular in the hobby of this group...

Photo from  The Cichlid Aquarium by Dr Paul Loiselle, Tetra Press 1985
 
Robertstoni
Photo by CNP at The Cichlid Scene

Carpintis

Cyanoguttatum

Godmani

Photo from Aqua Geograhpia

Nicaraguense
This is another cichlid from the great lake Nicaragua home of many of the great guapotes... e.g Dovii.... apparently these cichlids will form groups of females all caring for a large group of fry.... the Nicaraguese will also take care of Dovii fry.......for the fact that the large Dovii will hunt down another species of cichlid the Neet.. or neetroplus nematopus the Nicaraguense has to compete for terratory with this fish....and the more Dovii the less Neets there are........ pretty smart huh.... anyway here is a pic..

Photo from Aqua Geograhpia
 Nematopus

South Americans
Rivulatus (aka. Green Terror, Flame Tail, Gold Saum or Silver Saum)
now this species is one subject to a lot of confusion... and i will try at straighten it out.... there first Green Terror to enter the hobby was small with a maximum length of about 6" it's scientific name was Aquidens Rivulatus... it looked a lot like the blue Acara but it was green..... then there was a new fish going round which was also being called the Green Terror though this new fish grew to a maximum of 12" and also had a brightly coloured tail... there was even more confusion when this new fish was found to have two different colour variations one with a Gold tail and one with a White tail.... these two different colour variations where due to different colonies of this species living in different areas.... the new fish's scientific name was Aquidens species cf. Rivulatus.... and this is the fish i'm going to show you.. this fish i find isn't very aggressive like it's name sake... and is actually quite  placid and shy.. Green Terrors will also mature sexually at a young age.... my pair spawned 2 weeks after i got them at 1.5" and 2.5".. they are also quite easy to sex as the females look very different from the males.. the males genrally being more colorful..

Photo by David Wong from The Cichlid Room Companion

Ocellaris (aka. Peacock Bass, Pavon or Cichla)
This is another one of my many favorites that i cant have...again it would cause to much trouble if released in my country...these guy's grow incredibly fast...i was told fry were 2": within 1 month....i dunno about u guy's but my Green Terror fry i manage to breed take 2 months to reach 1cm....i have also herd that Pavons are one of the best sporting fish...

Photo from  The Cichlid Aquarium by Dr Paul Loiselle, Tetra Press 1985 at
One Fish Two fish
 

Temensis

Photo by Ron Looi from Ron Looi's Peacock Bass Page 
Second Photo from http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/chin/fishlinks.html
Orinocensis

Photo by Ron Looi from Ron Looi's Peacock Bass Page 
Monoculas

Photo by Ron Looi from Ron Looi's Peacock Bass Page 
Surinanensis
These guy's look pretty cool when full grown at 12" in length..there probably the largest out of all the Geophagus genus....

Phot by Vinny Kutty from Mostly Cichlids

Uaru

 
 

Tuba

Brasiliansis

 
Severum

  Photo from Ron Coleman from CHOP
 
Salvini