Laetacara

Laetacara
Laetacara araguaiae
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cichliformes
Family:	Cichlidae
Tribe:	Cichlasomatini
Genus:	Laetacara S. O. Kullander, 1986
Type species
Acara flavilabris Cope, 1870

Laetacara is a small genus of cichlids native to freshwater habitats in tropical and subtropical South America, ranging from the upper Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Paraná River basin Argentina.[1][2] The genus is also collectively known as the smiling acaras.[3][4] Like all cichlids, Laetacara species have well-developed brood care.

All members of the genus are monogamous, open spawning cichlids.[3] They are popular in the fishkeeping hobby and are frequently kept in aquariums.[2] Laetacara are relatively small cichlids, growing to about 4–12 cm (1.6–4.7 in) in length depending on exact species,[5] and are part of the group known to aquarists as dwarf cichlids.[3]

Species

There are currently seven recognized species in this genus:[5]

• Laetacara araguaiae Ottoni & W. J. E. M. Costa, 2009
• Laetacara curviceps (C. G. E. Ahl, 1923) (Flag acara)
• Laetacara dorsigera (Heckel, 1840) (Redbreast acara)
• Laetacara flamannellus Ottoni et al., 2012
• Laetacara flavilabris (Cope, 1870)
• Laetacara fulvipinnis Staeck & I. Schindler, 2007
• Laetacara thayeri (Steindachner, 1875)

See also

• List of freshwater aquarium fish species

References

1. Ottoni, F.P. (2018). "Update of diagnoses, information on distribution, species, and key for identification of Laetacara species (Teleostei, Cichlidae, Cichlasomatini)" (PDF). Vertebrate Zoology. 68 (1): 47–63. doi:10.3897/vz.68.e32224.
2. Linke H, Staeck L (1994) American cichlids I: Dwarf Cichlids. A handbook for their identification, care and breeding. Tetra Press. Germany. ISBN 1-56465-168-1
3. Loiselle, Paul V. (1995). The Cichlid Aquarium. Germany: Tetra Press. ISBN 1-56465-146-0.
4. Kullander, S.O. (1998). "A phylogeny and classification of the South American Cichlidae (Teleostei: Perciformes)". In L.R. Malabarba; R.E. Reis; R.P. Vari; Z.M. Lucena; C.A.S. Lucena (eds.). Phylogeny and classification of neotropical fishes. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 461–498. ISBN 978-85-7430-035-1.
5. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Laetacara". FishBase. July 2019 version.