Parachromis friedrichsthalii (Heckel, 1840)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Parachromis friedrichsthalii, the yellowjacket cichlid, is a species of cichlid native to Central America, where it is found along the Atlantic Slope from western Honduras to northern Guatemala. This species grows to a length of 28 centimetres (11 in) SL. This species is popular with anglers as a gamefish and can also be found in the aquarium trade. The specific name honours the Austrian explorer, botanist and archaeologist Emanuel von Friedrichsthal (1809-1842), who sent many specimens to Vienna from Central America, including the type of this fish.
P. friedrichsthalii has an unusual hunting mechanism. The species has been observed to lie immobile near the bottom, feigning death. When smaller fish approach and attempt to pick at the dead fish, P. friedrichsthalii ambush the smaller fish. Similar behaviour has also been observed in some species of Lake Malawi cichlids, particularly from the genus Nimbochromis.
Wikipedia contributors, Parachromis friedrichsthalii; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T23:31:07.233400+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Parachromis friedrichsthalii (Heckel, 1840)
- Name authority
- (Heckel, 1840)
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Cichliformes
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Genus
- Parachromis
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: no · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderCichliformes
- familyCichlidae Bonaparte, 1835
- subfamilyCichlinae Bonaparte, 1835
- genusParachromis Agassiz, 1859
- speciesParachromis friedrichsthalii (Heckel, 1840)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Parachromis. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Parachromis dovii (Günther, 1864) | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Parachromis loisellei (Bussing, 1989) | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Parachromis managuensis (Günther, 1867) | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Parachromis motaguensis (Günther, 1867) | CichlidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Parapetenia multifasciata (Regan, 1905) (Regan, 1905) | synonym |
| Cichlasoma multifasciatum Regan, 1905 Regan, 1905 | synonym |
| Heros friedrichsthalii Heckel, 1840 Heckel, 1840 | synonym |
| Parapetenia friedrichsthalii (Heckel, 1840) (Heckel, 1840) | synonym |
| Astronotus friedrichsthalii (Heckel, 1840) (Heckel, 1840) | synonym |
| Cichlasoma friedrichsthalii (Heckel, 1840) (Heckel, 1840) | synonym |
| Cichlosoma multifasciatum Regan, 1905 Regan, 1905 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=282013 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:4CPVW. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.