All of the fish in my post are found in the wild and are not man-made. There has been controversy over Heros sp. rotkeil and it has not been formally described, but several collectors and importers swear that it is found in nature so until it's proven otherwise, it's assumed a natural fish.
There are six described species of Heros:
Heros efasciatus
Heros appendiculatus
Heros notatus
Heros severus
Heros liberifer
Heros spurius
There are multiple wild-form species that are not described but that could one day be given their own species name, or perhaps be ruled as synonyms with any of the above six described species. They include (but are not limited to):
Heros sp. rotkeil
Heros sp. Inirida
Heros sp. Atabapo
Heros sp. Santarem
Heros sp. Paraconi
Heros sp. Uatuma
Heros sp. French Guiana
etc.
Gold severums are a xanthic fish derived from greens (H. efasciatus). Super reds or red spotted golds are line-bred versions of golds. All these fish trace their lineage back to the hobby greens, which we call H. efasciatus but could easily be mutts of mixed lineage. This is because lots of Heros from all over South America used to be imported as "greens" and science later split them up into new species. Prior to their new species designations, they were all lumped together in the hobby and therefore mixed and interbred. In most cases these days, if you want pure species, you will have to find a reputable source like Tangled Up In Cichlids, or go to someone who breeds wild Heros.
IMO most Heros are generally similar in terms of temperament and requirements. One stand-out for me has been Heros severus. I have worked with this species since it first got imported to North America in 2015 and I can tell you they're the largest and most aggressive species, with males reaching 12"+. I have had multiple females slaughtered by their partners, and a single pair will take over the entirety of a 6x2x2 aquarium. But all species are aggressive to an extent when paired, and tank size becomes key here if you want them to live peacefully.
If you have smaller tanks, go for a smaller species like the Peruvian Heros which are either rotkeil or H. appendiculatus, the "turquoise" severums (and don't pay much attention to the name "turquoise," because most people slap that name on any blue-hued severum and you end up with fish that are not Peruvian appendiculatus at all). The Peruvian species tend to top out around 8" or so.
Also, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, but the heavily line-bred stuff like golds and super reds are "special." In that most of the wild instinct is bred out of them, sometimes to the point that they don't spawn or spawn poorly. For a long time it was said that males were sterile, but I have found that it's more likely that they are too stupid to fertilize anything. So if you want a fish that's more puppy-like and less aggressive than its wild counterparts, in most cases the super reds will fit that bill.
