Rio Grande Cichlid are distinctive in that they exhibit cream and turquoise colored spots giving them a speckled look.
Background color varies from very dark to light olive.
Lighter colored specimens usually exhibit five dark vertical bars. Unlike tilapia, most sunfishes, which typically have three spines on the anal fin, Rio Grande Cichlid are equipped with five to six anal fin spines. Adults usually range up to about 6 inches in length. Like most of their family, Rio Grande Cichlid are generally considered warm-water fish, and are very sensitive to cold water temperatures. In general, Rio Grande Cichlid do not survive at water temperatures below 49 degrees Fahrenheit.