The Mayan cichlid is native to some Central American waters of southeastern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The mayan cichlid is not native to Florida, where this one was caught, but have established themselves in Southern portions of Florida.
The Mayan cichlid has a general appearance of North American sunfishs. The body is of similiar shape and the first dorsal and anal fin are spinous. The caudal fin is slightly rounded. The mayan cichlid’s coloration is probably its most distinctive identifying characteristic.
The background color is light brown or beige towards the belly. Some pink especially around the throat is often present, especially in breeding males. They have five to seven wide, green-black bars. There is also a big black spot with a halo on the base of the tail fin.