[5] Albert Günther originally described the species in 1867 after Frederick DuCane Godman and Osbert Salvin collected specimens in Central America.

[15] She has more intense black bands across the body, and pink to orange colouration in the ventral region and on the dorsal fin.

[3] Convict cichlids prefer moving water, and are most frequently found in habitats with cover in the form of rocks or sunken branches.

[15] Convict cichlids can be relatively tolerant of cool water, allowing them to colonise volcanic lakes at elevations of 1,500 meters (4,900 ft).

[26][27] In natural habitats, the species has an omnivorous diet composed of plants, algae and various prey including small fish, crustaceans, insects and worms.

[21] Sexually mature convicts form monogamous pairs and spawn in small caves or crevices.

Like most cichlids, such as Oreochromis mossambicus, convicts brood (exhibit parental care of) both eggs and free-swimming fry.

[33] After hatching, the larvae spend another 72 hours absorb their yolk sacs and developing their fins before they become free-swimming fry.

[15] Brood care of eggs, larvae and free-swimming juveniles in the wild can last 4 to 6 weeks,[15] and occurs only once per season for the majority of females.

[15] In contrast, females in aquaria are known to breed many times per year with short intervals of 12 or 13 days between broods, as long as suitable rocks or similar surfaces are available for them to lay their eggs on.

Moreover, as the two nest density regimes were compared, with one high and one low, there was no significant difference in brood survival between the two; however, the convict cichlids did prefer to breed farther away from each other, not in close proximity.

This indicates that there are some other costs with breeding in an environment with high population density, an example being energy loss because of the resulting increased aggression when guarding territory.

It has been shown that individuals of significantly greater size relative to their opponent often win fights without much physical contact.

However, because they are biparentally custodial, each sex will still focus on a specific set of behaviors in particular, which is susceptible to change during the brood cycle.

[43] Convict cichlids may show extended biparental care and adopt unrelated young of the same species of similar or smaller body size compared to their own biological offspring.

The parents may benefit by adopting smaller young by taking advantage of the dilution effect, which is when the risk of predation for an individual is reduced because the group size is larger.

[46] Convict cichlids are known to be highly aggressive and territorial when breeding, possessing a variety of complex behaviors and adaptations, which have been suggested to be a result of environmental conditions, individual development, and trait variation.

Due to their aggressive nature, cichlids are popularly studied to investigate the factors that may potentially cause their behavior.

[48] It has been shown that environmental parameters like changes in temperature and prior residence may affect the cichlid's territorial aggression.

[21] Its relatively small size, along with ease of keeping and breeding, make the convict an ideal cichlid for beginners and advanced aquarists alike interested in observing pair bonds and brood care.

Ideal tank mates for convict cichlids consists of robust similar sized fish.