Parachromis managuensis is a large species of cichlid native to freshwater habitats in Central America, where it is found from Honduras to Costa Rica.

[4] P. managuensis is a robust fish with a silvery or golden-green to purple colour, with a darker moss green shade at the dorsum.

P. managuensis inhabits lakes and prefers turbid waters with mud bottoms and is tolerant to eutrophic and hypoxic conditions.

Its native substrate is mud-bottoms, but it can also be found in ponds and springs with sandy bottoms covered in plant debris.

[2] However, it has been introduced in other countries in Central America, as well as in the United States, as a food source, for aquarism and to control fish populations.