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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: banded cichlid
Synonyms and Other Names: severum, striped cichlid, sedate cichlid, deacon [juvenile], convict fish
Taxonomy: available through 
Identification: Another commonly used name is Cichlasoma severum. For distinguishing characteristics and figure see Page and Burr (1991). Color photographs were given in Axelrod (1993). Kullander (1986) reviewed the genus, stating that Heros does not appear to be a monotypic genus and that a revision of component species is needed.
Size: 20 cm.
Native Range:
Tropical America. Genus Heros is distributed widely in Atlantic drainages of South America, including much of Amazon and Orinoco basins, Tocantins drainage, and coastal drainages of Guianas. Heros severus occurs in upper Rio Negro and upper Rio Orinoco (Kullander 1986).
Nonindigenous Occurrences:
This species has been recorded from several sites in Dade County, Florida including Tamiami Canal just west of Miami and Snapper Creek (Shafland 1995b; Nico, unpublished data). A single cichlid (tentatively identified as this species) was taken during rotenone treatment of Rogers Spring, a warm spring near Overton and a tributary to Lake Mead, Clark County, Nevada, on 8 December 1963 (Courtenay and Deacon 1982; Hubbs and Deacon 1964). Collected in warm springs flowing into Lake Mead in southern NV, and elsewhere in the state (Vinyard 2001).
Means of Introduction: Probably aquarium release. Probable introduction by local residents in Nevada (Hubbs and Deacon 1964; Courtenay and Hensley 1979a).
Status: Based on recent collections, this species is apparently established in Florida (Nico, personal communication). Reported from Nevada (Courtenay and Deacon 1982; Deacon and Williams 1984; Courtenay and Stauffer 1990). Contrary to statements that the species is possibly established (e.g., Courtenay and Hensley 1979a; Page and Burr 1991), no additional Heros severus have been seen or taken at Rogers Spring since the first capture in 1963 and the species is considered exterminated from Nevada (Courtenay and Deacon 1982, 1983; Deacon and Williams 1984; Courtenay and Stauffer 1990).
Impact of Introduction: Unknown.
Remarks: The statement by Page and Burr (1991) that the species is "apparently established in Rogers Spring" appears erroneous. The rotenone treatment of Rogers Spring in 1963 was undertaken to rid the site of introduced species; until that time it was not known that H. severus was even present (Hubbs and Deacon 1964). Concern has been expressed that if H. severus survived in Nevada, it, like other introduced species, would compete with local or native fish fauna and sport fish, and that if the cichlid became established in Lake Mead, it potentially would compete with native sunfish for spawning sites (Hubbs and Deacon 1964; Courtenay and Hensley 1979a). Voucher specimens: Florida (UF uncatalogued).
Axelrod, H. R. 1993. The most complete colored lexicon of cichlids. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, Inc., Neptune City, NJ.
Courtenay, W. R., Jr., and J. E. Deacon. 1982. Status of introduced fishes in certain spring systems in southern Nevada. Great Basin Naturalist 42(3):361-366.
Courtenay, W. R., Jr., and J. E. Deacon. 1983. Fish introductions in the American southwest: a case history of Rogers Spring, Nevada. Southwestern Naturalist 28:221-224.
Courtenay, W. R., Jr., and D. A. Hensley. 1979a. Survey of introduced non-native fishes. Phase I Report. Introduced exotic fishes in North America: status 1979. Report Submitted to National Fishery Research Laboratory, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gainesville, FL.
Courtenay, W. R., Jr., and J. R. Stauffer, Jr.. 1990. The introduced fish problem and the aquarium fish industry. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 21(3):145-159.
Deacon, J. E., and J. E. Williams. 1984. Annotated list of the fishes of Nevada. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 97(1):103-118.
Hubbs, C., and J. E. Deacon. 1964. Additional introductions of tropical fishes into southern Nevada. Southwest Naturalist 9:249-251.
Kullander, S. O. 1986. Cichlid fishes of the Amazon River drainage of Peru. Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden. 431 pp.
Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. The Peterson Field Guide Series, volume 42. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
Smith-Vaniz, W. F., J. D. Williams, L. G. Nico, and W. Loftus. Key to the cichlid fishes of Florida. Unpublished mimeograph (in prep).
Other Resources:
FishBase Fact Sheet
Author: Leo Nico and Pam Fuller
Revision Date: 12/13/2006 Citation for this information:
Leo Nico and Pam Fuller. 2009. Heros severus. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=458> Revision Date: 12/13/2006
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