🥊🐟 Jack Dempsey Cichlid — Naming Guide
🔎 At-a-glance
- 🧪 Scientific name: Rocio octofasciata
- 🧑🔬 Described by: C. Tate Regan, 1903 (as Heros octofasciatus)
- 🏷️ Common name: “Jack Dempsey” — coined by aquarium hobbyists & dealers, not scientists
👨🔬 Scientific Naming (Taxonomy)
- 🏷️ Basionym: Heros octofasciatus (1903)
- 🔁 You may still see:
- 📘 Cichlasoma octofasciatum
- 📘 Archocentrus octofasciatus
- 📘 Parapetenia octofasciata
- 📘 Nandopsis octofasciata
- 📝 Junior synonyms sometimes listed: C. hedricki, C. biocellatum
- 🧬 Current valid combo: Rocio octofasciata
- 🧩 Genus change: moved to Rocio later; epithet becomes feminine octofasciata
🌸 Why “Rocio”?
- 💧 Meaning: Rocío = “morning dew” (sparkling spots)
- 🫶 Personal touch: also the author’s wife’s name — a double nod
🥊 Where the Common Name Came From
- 🏪 Who named it “Jack Dempsey”: U.S. hobbyists & fish dealers (early–mid 20th century)
- 💡 Why it stuck: reminds keepers of heavyweight champ Jack Dempsey (1919–1926)
- 🛡️ Fearless nest/territory defense
- 💥 Scrappy with tankmates
- 🗜️ Strong-jawed, fast strikes
🗺️ Native Range (Context)
- 🌊 Home waters: Atlantic-slope drainages southern Mexico → Honduras
- 🌍 Introduced: established in some warm regions outside native range
🗓️ Mini-Timeline
- 📜 1903: Described as Heros octofasciatus
- 🔎 1904–1909: Extra names/synonyms appear in literature
- 🗣️ 1920s–1940s: Hobby popularizes “Jack Dempsey”
- 🔬 2000s: Placed in Rocio → Rocio octofasciata
🧭 30-Second Script
- 🧑🔬 “Scientists named it Rocio octofasciata.”
- 🐟 “Fishkeepers nicknamed it ‘Jack Dempsey’ for its fighter attitude.”
- ✅ “Latin for science; ‘Jack Dempsey’ for personality.”
✅ Do / ❌ Don’t (Labels & Listings)
- ✅ Show both: “Jack Dempsey (Rocio octofasciata)”
- ✅ Note temperament: territorial; needs space & sight breaks
- ✅ Clarify morphs: Electric Blue = color morph of the same species
- ❌ Don’t treat “Jack Dempsey” as a species name
- ❌ Don’t mix with other Central American cichlids still tagged under old Cichlasoma
❓ Quick FAQ
- ❓ Is ‘Jack Dempsey’ scientific?
➤ ❌ No. It’s a common/trade name. - ❓ Why so many old names?
➤ 🔄 Taxonomy was revised repeatedly; older combinations linger in books & labels. - ❓ Are Electric Blues the same fish?
➤ ✅ Yes—selectively bred color morph of Rocio octofasciata.
🧾 Glossary
- 📜 Basionym: First valid scientific name
- 🔁 Synonym: Older/alternate scientific name for the same species
- 🏷️ Common name: Everyday/trade name (not regulated like Latin)
🥊🐟 Memory Hook
Scientists set the Latin; fishkeepers delivered the knockout nickname.
