The Tailbar Cichlid is native to southeastern Mexico's Grijalva River basin in central America.
The larger, more colourful males (above) can reach over 25cm long.
Males develop a "nuchal" hump with age.
They can look similar to other Vieja species, particularly to the Redhead, V. synspila/melanura,
when their tail bar is indistinct. They are classified as endangered.
(There is another fish called the T-bar Cichlid, Amatitlania (prev. Cichlasoma) sajica, native to the Pacific
side of Costa Rica.)