 Říčan's study suggests that the "Astatheros" species are more closely related to the Jack Dempsey and rainbow cichlid than to the remaining "Amphilophus" species.Several species from this genus are endemic to the small Lake Apoyo (6 species) and Lake Xiloá (4 species) in Nicaragua, and are believed to be the result of sympatric speciation.According to FishBase, there are currently 16 recognized species in this genus, listed below.