Are you ready to catch the mayan cichlid?
Also known as the Mayan cichlid, false red terror, orange tiger, and atomic sunfish, this fish is widespread in Central America and is a favorite with anglers. Note, this fish is often misspelled as mojara.
Now let’s learn a bit about this fish and how to catch it.
Mojarras can be found in both fresh and saltwater habitats over shallow coastal lagoons, mangrove swamps, freshwater marshes, and rivers.
It feeds on small fish and invertebrates and is known for brooding its young in its mouth to protect them from predators. The fish swims in schools and tends to remain in shallow water refuges in coastal areas to avoid large predators.
The name ‘mojarra’ is used in Latin American countries as a name for species of the cichlid family such as the tilapia. The fish spawns at the bottom in both fresh and brackish water and females can lay up to 600 eggs at a time.
Mayan Cichlid Fish Facts
|Scientific Name||Cichlasoma urophthalmum (Mayaheros urophthalmus)|
|Common Name(s)||Mojarra, Mexican mojarra, Mayan cichlid, orange tiger, castarrica, and schwanzfleckbuntbarsch|
|Identifying Characteristics||The fish is oval in shape, has spiny fins, wide vertical stripes and eyespots on its tail which confuse predators. It is usually olive-brown to beige in color.|
|Habitat||The fish is native to Central America particularly to the slope waters of southeastern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.|
|Limits||Check your local regulations|
Mexican Mojarra Habitat
The castarrica prefer the shallows and can be found in lentic habitats such as mangrove swamps and freshwater marshes. This species is adaptable and can also be found in a range of natural and artificial coastal/inland environments.
This includes ditches, ponds, canals, streams, limestone sinkholes, connected caves and in coastal lagoons.
How to Catch Mayan Cichlid
You can catch almost any mojarra species using a 2lb test line but go for a 4lb to 6lb one if you are fishing heavy cover which will usually be the case. Even the largest one has a small mouth so use a small hook or it may get ripped off as the fish bites.
Orange tigers can be caught with bait but will not ignore lures either. But, make sure that the weather is clear or you will have a tough time getting them to bite. The good news is that the mojarra fish is curious by nature so it will try out about anything you use to lure it in.
Use small crankbaits such as a floating Rapala as a lure but small rubber jigs will also work.
Mayan Cichlid Fishing Tactics
- The best bait to use for this fish is freshwater shrimp, small minnows and worms. You can also use white bread to create a chum slick.
- The ideal setup for catching mojarra fish is a Daiwa BG spinning reel in the 1500 size range and an extra light spinning rod.
Mexican Mojarra Fishing Tips
- If you are using crankbaits, cast it out to promising-looking cover and let it sit for a while before making it twitch to attract the fish.
- Suspend small rubber jigs in front of mojarras and twitch them to pique the fish’s interest and get it to take a bite.
Mexican Mojarra Seasons
Mexican mojarra spawn in the spring and early summer but little is known of its breeding habits and fecundity. Yet, what is known is that the fish builds nests for its eggs and are quite protective of their young.
How to Clean Mojarra Fish
- Wash the schwanzfleckbuntbarsch and place it on a cutting board. Remove the scales using a spoon or knife to scrape the fish from tail to head. Use moderate force and rotate the fish as you go so you don’t miss a single scale.
- Insert the tip of a sharp knife in the underbelly about an inch inside and as close to the tale as you can get.
- Cut open the belly by sliding the knife upward toward the tail.
- Cut open the fish completely by moving the knife along the cavity.
- Pull out the entrails and clean the cavity of residual viscera inside and out.
- This is the best method to clean the fish if you plan on frying it whole which is usually the best way to cook this fish. Cook it using the following recipe to fi