Genus: Nandopsis, Biajacas, Island Cichlid

NANDOPSIS

BIAJACAS

Body oblong; head long, upper profile oblique, snout bluntly pointed; tail base long;1 pair of nostrils; mouth large, wide, protractile, top jaw reaches to under front of eye; lower jaw projecting; few teeth on jaws, outer row conical, canines at front of top (1 pair) and lower (2 pairs) jaws; 8-10 gill rakers; dorsal fin not notched between spines and rays, XIII-XVI, soft fin higher than spiny part; anal fin with IV spines; pectoral short, not reaching to origin of anal fin; tail fin rounded to bluntly straight; scales large, rough, 27-32 in lateral series; bases of soft dorsal, anal and tail fins scaled; lateral line in 2 straight overlapping sections; body and fins heavily patterned with black spots; predatory on fishes.

A genus of cichlids primarily in freshwater but also commonly found in brackish water; 3 species (Cuba, Haiti, Dominican republic).