Vieja is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of fish

Fish

Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...

 from the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Cichlid

Cichlid

Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...

ae. The geographic distribution of the genus is limited to Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

, primarily Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, Guatemala

Guatemala

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...

 and Nicaragua

Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...

. In general Vieja are high bodied cichlids which grow to between 15-35 cm (6 - 13.8 inches). There are 16 species of Vieja currently described. The classification of several species of Vieja are in dispute, several are sometimes listed as part of the genus Theraps

Theraps

Theraps is a small fish genus from the cichlidae family. They are endemic to Central America, ranging from Mexico to Panama. Several Theraps sp. have been found across the southern United States as invasive species....

. Further investigation including dna studies is expected to clarify the taxonomy

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...

 over the next few years.

Species

• Vieja argentea (Allgayer, 1991)
• Vieja bifasciata (Steindachner, 1864)
• Vieja breidohri (Werner & Stawikowski, 1987)
• Vieja fenestrata (Günther, 1860)
• Vieja godmanni (Günther, 1862)
• Vieja guttulata (Günther, 1864)
• Vieja hartwegi (Taylor & Miller, 1980)
• Vieja heterospila (Hubbs, 1936)
• Vieja intermedia (Günther, 1862)
• Vieja maculicauda (Regan, 1905) Blackbelt cichlid
• Vieja melanura (Günther, 1862)
• Vieja microphthalma (Günther, 1862)
• Vieja regani (Miller, 1974)
• Vieja synspila
  Vieja synspila
  Vieja synspila also known as the quetzel cichlid, redhead cichlid or firehead cichlid is a large Central American cichlid fish species. It is one of the most colourful cichlid species with males displaying metallic green, blue, green, pink and orange along their flanks...
  
  (Hubbs, 1935)
• Vieja tuyrensis (Meek & Hildebrand, 1913)
• Vieja zonata (Meek, 1905)