Genus: Herichthys, Cichlids, Rio Grande Cichlid
head bluntly pointed
outer central teeth: spatulate
large scales
HERICHTHYS
CICHLIDS
Body variable in shape; 1 pair of nostrils; mouth short, oblique, horizontal or slightly down pointing; jaws about equal or upper projecting; top jaw highly protrusible; jaw teeth mostly conical, but central teeth of outer series compressed and spatula-like in adult, closely packed and pointed in young; gill rakers 7-15; dorsal fin XV-XVIII, 10-14, without a notch between spines and rays; anal fin V-VII, 7-11; pectoral fin reaching to above anus; tail base short to medium; bases of soft dorsal and anal fins scaled; lateral line in 2 straight overlapping sections; scales large; body with bars, but no stripe along mid-side.
An Atlantic central American genus (primarily Mexico) of freshwater cichlids with 9 species; 1 species entering brackish water.
