Original description as Herichthys pame:
ZooBank:D2A63663-C878-4417-9938-4ADDC0D61284.
- de la Maza Benignos, Mauricio & M.L. Lozano-Vilano. 2013. "Description of three new species of the genus Herichthys (Perciformes: Cichlidae) from eastern Mexico, with redescription of H. labridens, H. steindachneri, and H. pantostictus". Zootaxa. 3734(2):101–129 (ffm00549) (abstract)
Conservation: Herichthys pame is not evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species. As it is not a described species, its protection status is not set.
For many years, the untreated or badly treated wastes of sugar mills, plus the pesticides and fertilizers used in sugar cane growing have destroyed many ecosystems in México, and the Rio Gallinas, one of the most beautiful areas in the country has not been an exception. Although conditions have improved to a point nowadays, the Rio Gallinas down the sugar mill at Tambaca was in such poor shape that no major life was possible in its course a few years back, and today there is little difference. The terrible conditions under which the poorest local inhabitants have to live are unthinkable, where families with kids live close to the unbearable stinking drainage channels coming out from the sugar mill at Tambaca, the Alianza Popular.
Pollution is a serious problem for the environment and to the beauty of the Rio Gallinas habitat. To top that off, every year more areas on the sides of the steep tropical and rain forest mountains are being cut for agricultural use, with the consequential run off of soil and sediments that change the river’s physiognomy and ecology.
Garbage left by indifferent people after picnics in the popular places in Rio Gallinas is also a common problem and although some areas are being taken care of by local inhabitants, the overall incredible beauty of the area is being lost bit by bit every year. If you could see how I first saw this area 30+ years ago (1975) and how it is in comparison today, you would have no other choice but to be depressed and to lose hope for a human future.
Even today, incredibly, there are current programs, with federal government support for the introduction and raising exotic tilapia, Oreochromis spp, in the valley of Rascón, with an imminent risk of it entering the natural water courses and causing an unknown but sure damage to the ecosystem.