• Scientific name: Thorichthys meeki
• Common name: Firemouth Cichlid
• Synonyms: Cichlasoma meeki
• Group: Cichlids
• Habitat: Central America; Guatemala and the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico
• Size: 12-15 cm.
• Biotope: Shallow areas of lakes, streams, and flooded areas, usually in slow-moving water.
• Social behavior: Territorial, the species pairs and burrows but will not damage plants except during spawning. Peaceful to tank mates except during spawning, then pairs are aggressive to smaller tank mates of their species. During spawning many fish are extremely pugnacious.They form nuclear families and make superb parents.
• Diet: Omnivorous, all types of live foods; tablets, flakes
• Breeding: Easy
• Tank: Minimum 150 litres.
• Population: 1 pair for 150 litres
• Decoration: Use a tank with a bottom of fine sand and hiding places among rocks and roots. Use such hardy plants as Sagittaria Plants should be potted with root surfaces protected. An open swimming area is important.
• Temperature: 20-27°C
• pH: 6,5-8,5
• Hardness: 4-20 NK°
• Lifespan: 10 years

Description: The most noticeable trait of the Firemouth cichlid is its throat and breast area, which ranges from bright fiery Red to Brick Red and is the reason for the common name. As an aggressive stance, the fish will threaten others of their species by inflating a throat sac and extending their gill covers. The head is large and pointed. The body color is light gray to dark slate gray and six to seven, often faint, transverse stripes mark the upper parts. A black spot can be found on the gill cover. Male has smartly pointed dorsal and anal fins and is more intensely colored. The genital papilla of male is pointed; on female it is blunt.

For breeding the water should be neutral, pH 7.0, no more than medium hard, 10° dGH, and at temperatures between 24-26° C. The female spawns on carefully cleaned rocks, dropping 100 to 500 eggs. The eggs hatch in 3-4 days. Fry are protec¬ted in pits. The female is more likely to tend the brood and the male defend the territory. The parents may raise several broods in a year. The fry can be fed very fine flake food or newly hatched brine shrimp. The Firemouth is sexually mature at 3" (8 cm).