Apistogramma viejita

Apistogramma viejita is a dwarf cichlid in the subfamily Cichlinae and the tribe Geophagini. It is a benthopelagic freshwater fish that lives in the Meta River and the Orinoco River in Colombia, and it grows to about 4.6 cm in standard length. Males gather harems for spawning when females outnumber them, and a clutch of up to 100 eggs is laid on the ceiling of a cave and tended by the female parent. The species is very rare and not regularly bred, so fish sold under its name in aquarium shops are usually colour forms of Apistogramma macmasteri, such as Red Face, Red Mask and Red Shoulder. The specific name viejita is a diminutive of the Spanish word vieja, old lady, used for many South American cichlids; the describing author Sven O. Kullander does not explain the choice.