[5] Genetic research by Říčan et al. revealed that the closest relatives to Trichromis are the firemouth cichlid and its congeners in the genus Thorichthys.

The body is yellow with two lines of black "flowers" along the side and upper half of the back of the fish.

It has black bars that cross the face, and both sexes have red bellies, which is more pronounced in females, especially when ready to spawn.

Females also have a patch in the center of the dorsal fin and a spot on the lower part of the gill cover.

Salvin's cichlid is found along the eastern coastal rivers and lagoons at lower elevations of Central America, from Mexico south to Honduras.