Cryptoheros is a genus of small cichlid fishes from Central America and southeast Mexico.

[2] The convict cichlid has sometimes been placed within the genus Cryptoheros as well, but is now considered a member of the genus Amatitlania.

[2] FishBase currently recognizes four species in this genus:[1] C. panamenis is placed in the subgenus Panamius within Cryptoheros.

However, genetic analysis by Říčan, et al. revealed that C. panamensis is not closely related to the other species that are included in Cryptoheros.

They recommended that Panamius should be elevated to a full genus, meaning that C. panamensis becomes Panamius panamensis.