Mesonauta

{{Short description|Genus of fishes}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Mesonauta insignis 2.jpg

| image_caption = Mesonauta insignis

| taxon = Mesonauta

| authority = Günther, 1867

| type_species = Heros insignis

| type_species_authority = Heckel, 1840

}}

Mesonauta, the flag cichlids, is a small genus of cichlids native to the Amazon, Orinoco, Essequibo, Paraná and Paraguay basins in South America.{{cite book |last=Loiselle |first=Paul V. |title=The Cichlid Aquarium |year=1995 |publisher=Tetra Press |location=Germany |isbn=1-56465-146-0}} Mesonauta is included in the subfamily Cichlasomatinae.{{cite book|last=Kullander|first=S.O.|year=1998| chapter=A phylogeny and classification of the South American Cichlidae (Teleostei: Perciformes)|pages = 461–498 |editor = L.R. Malabarba |editor2=R.E. Reis |editor3=R.P. Vari |editor4=Z.M. Lucena |editor5=C.A.S. Lucena | title=Phylogeny and classification of neotropical fishes| location= Porto Alegre |publisher = EDIPUCRS | isbn = 978-85-7430-035-1 }} They occur in various freshwater habitats such as streams and lakes, especially in areas with little water movement and aquatic vegetation.{{cite book | editor1=van der Sleen, P. | editor2=J.S. Albert | year=2017 | title=Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas | publisher=Princeton University Press | page=379 | isbn=978-0691170749 }} They are generally found in small groups that stay near the water surface.{{cite web|last1=Kutty|first1=V.|url=http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/is_that_a_festivum.php|title=Is that a Festivum?|year=2017|accessdate=28 January 2017}} To avoid predators, adults may jump out of the water and juveniles mimic leaves.

Some species are popular in the fishkeeping hobby and are frequently kept in aquariums.Linke H, Staeck L (1994) American cichlids II: Large Cichlids. A handbook for their identification, care and breeding. Tetra Press. Germany. {{ISBN|1-56465-169-X}} These have traditionally been referred to as M. festivus, but following taxonomic reviews of the genus in 1991 and 1998,{{cite journal|last1=Kullander|first1=S.O.|last2=Silfvergrip|first2=A.M.C.|title=Review of the South American cichlid genus Mesonauta Günther (Teleostei, Cichlidae) with descriptions of two new species|year=1991|journal=Revue suisse de Zoologie|volume=92|issue=2|pages=407–448|doi=10.5962/bhl.part.79799|doi-access=free}}{{cite journal|last1=Schindler|first1=I.|title=Mesonauta guyanae spec. nov., a new cichlid fish from the Guyana Shield, South America (Teleostei: Cichlidae)|year=1998|journal=Zeitschrift für Fischkunde|volume=5|pages=3–12}} the species most often seen in the aquarium trade are M. guyanae, M. insignis and M. mirificus. The species are similar in general appearance, but they have different distributions and can be separated by the bars they show on the body when stressed or excited (very faint when relaxed).{{cite web| url=https://www.ciklid.org/artregister/art_slakte.php?ID=Mesonauta | title=Mesonauta | publisher=Nordiske Ciklidsällskapet | language=Swedish | accessdate=4 November 2017}}