Abstract: The profile presents an overview of the genus Rocio, established by Schmitter-Soto in 2007 based on the type species Rocio octofasciata (Regan, 1903). It traces the taxonomic history, morphology, distribution, and evolutionary relationships of this Central American cichlid lineage. Rocio species are characterized by deep bodies, distinctive coloration patterns, and adaptations to calm or slow-moving waters. The text discusses their classification within the heroine cichlids, their morphological traits linking them to genera such as Amatitlania and Cryptoheros, and clarifies long-standing taxonomic confusions. It also reviews synonymies and the genus’s geographic range across the Atlantic slope of Central America.
Original description:
ZooBank:F557903A-4C4E-49EA-9F17-89A9C3FECAFD.
- Schmitter-Soto, Juan Jacobo. 2007. "A systematic revision of the genus Archocentrus (Perciformes: Cichlidae), with the description of two new genera and six new species". Zootaxa. 1603:1-78 - [abstract] · (ffm01457)
Type species: Heros octofasciatus Regan, 1903 (original designation).