Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes
(Perch-likes) > Cichlidae
(Cichlids) > Cichlasomatinae
Etymology: Mesonauta: Name not explained by Günther; probably from the Greek 'mesos' meaning middle or average, and 'nautes' for sailo (alternatively from Latin 'nauta' or sailor; the name perhaps refers to he position of dorsal fin origin posterior to the pelvic fin which was the author's principal diagnostic character.; mirificus: Named from a Latin adjective 'mirificus' meaning wonderful (Ref. 86444). More on author: Kullander.
Environment / Climate / Range
Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 5.7 - 7.3; dH range: 5 - 13. Tropical; 24°C - 30°C (Ref. 40602), preferred ?
South America: Amazon River basin in Peru and Colombia, in tributaries of the Ucayali and Amazon rivers, from Yarina Cocha to Mocagua Island near Leticia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 9.7 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 36377)
Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is distinguished from its congeners by its colour pattern: bar 6 including a light vertical stripe that usually divides the bar into two narrow parallel stripes below the middle of the side, and narrow dark horizontal lines along the side. It is similar to M. egregius in having bar six doubled, but with 8 or 9 (vs. 6 or 7) anal fin spines (Ref. 86444).
In blackwater rivers, among plants (Ref. 40602).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Kullander, S.O., 2003. Cichlidae (Cichlids). p. 605-654. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 36377)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 109396)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Threat to humans
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5156 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02512 (0.01014 - 0.06222), b=3.04 (2.83 - 3.25), based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278
): 3.3 ±0.4 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref. 69278
): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Low vulnerability (14 of 100) .