| Parachromis | |
|---|---|
| Parachromis managuense | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Subfamily: | Cichlasomatinae |
| Genus: | Parachromis |
Parachromis is a genus of freshwater fishes from the family Cichlidae. The genus contains 5 species and is limited in its distribution to Central America. Some species occur in Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua. All species are predatory and relatively large for cichlids.
Parachromis friedrichsthalii has an unusual hunting mechanism. The species has been observed to lie immobile near the bottom, feining 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.[1]