Cichlid
Encyclopedia
Cichlids are fish
es from the family
Cichlidae in the order Perciformes
. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei
along with the wrasses (Labridae), damselfish (Pomacentridae
), and surfperches (Embiotocidae
). This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species
have been scientifically described
, making it one of the largest vertebrate
families. New species are discovered annually, and many species remain undescribed
. The actual number of species is therefore unknown, with estimates varying between 1,300 and 3,000.
) to much larger species approaching 1 metres (3.3 ft) in length (e.g. Boulengerochromis and Cichla
). As a group, cichlids exhibit a similar diversity of body shapes, ranging from strongly laterally compressed species (such as Altolamprologus
, Pterophyllum
, and Symphysodon) to species that are cylindrical and highly elongate (such as Julidochromis
, Teleogramma
, Teleocichla
, Crenicichla
, and Gobiocichla
). Generally, however, cichlids tend to be of medium size, ovate in shape and slightly laterally compressed, and generally similar to the North American sunfishes
in morphology, behavior, and ecology.
Many cichlids, particularly tilapia
, are important food fishes, while others are valued game fish (e.g. Cichla
species). The family also includes many familiar aquarium
fish, including the angelfish, oscars
, and discus. Cichlids have the largest number of endangered species
among vertebrate
families, most in the haplochromine
group. Cichlids are particularly well known for having evolved rapidly
into a large number of closely related but morphologically diverse species
within large lakes, particularly Tanganyika
, Victoria
, Malawi
, and Edward
. Their diversity in the African Great Lakes is important for the study of speciation
in evolution. Many cichlids that have been introduced
into waters outside of their natural range have become nuisances, such as tilapia
in the southern United States.
Cichlids share a single key trait: the fusion of the lower pharyngeal bones
into a single tooth-bearing structure. A complex set of muscles allows the upper and lower pharyngeal bones to be used as a second set of jaws for processing food, allowing a division of labor between the "true jaws" (mandible
s) and the "pharyngeal jaws
". Cichlids are efficient feeders that capture and process a very wide variety of food items. This is assumed to be one reason why they are so diverse. Cichlids vary in body shape, ranging from compressed and disc-shaped (such as Symphysodon), to triangular (such as Pterophyllum
), to elongate and cylindrical (such as Crenicichla
).
The features that distinguish them from the other Labroidei include:
(1998) recognizes eight subfamilies of cichlids: the Astronotinae
, Cichlasomatinae
, Cichlinae
, Etroplinae
, Geophaginae
, Heterochromidinae, Pseudocrenilabrinae
, and Retroculinae
. Cichlid taxonomy is still debated, and classification of genera
cannot yet be definitively given. A comprehensive system of assigning species
to monophyletic
genera is still lacking, and there is not complete agreement on what genera should be recognized in this family.
As an example of the classification problems, Kullander placed the Africa
n genus Heterochromis phylogenetically within neotropical cichlids, although later papers concluded otherwise. Other problems center upon the identity of the putative common ancestor for the Lake Victoria
superflock, and the ancestral lineages of Tanganyikan
cichlids.
Comparisons between a morphologically-based phylogeny and analyses of gene loci produce differences at the genus level. There remains a consensus that the Cichlidae as a family is monophyletic.
One problem that transformed cichlid taxonomy is related to dentition
, which had been used as a classifying characteristic. In many cichlids, tooth shape changes with age, due to wear, and cannot be relied upon. Genome sequencing
and other technologies transformed cichlid taxonomy.
Cichlids are the most species-rich non-Ostariophysan
family in freshwater
s worldwide. They are most diverse in Africa
and South America
. It is estimated that Africa alone hosts at least 1,600 species. Central America
and Mexico
have approximately 120 species, as far north as the Rio Grande
in southern Texas
. Madagascar
has its own distinctive species (Oxylapia, Paratilapia
, Paretroplus
, Ptychochromis
, and Ptychochromoides
), only distantly related to those on the African mainland. Native cichlids are largely absent in Asia
, except for nine species in Israel
, Lebanon
and Syria
(Astatotilapia flaviijosephi, Oreochromis aureus
, O. niloticus
, Sarotherodon galilaeus , Tilapia zillii, and Tristramella
spp.), one in Iran
(Iranocichla
), and three in India
and Sri Lanka
(Etroplus
). If disregarding Trinidad and Tobago
(where the few native cichlids are members of genera that are widespread in the South American mainland), the three species from the genus Nandopsis
are the only cichlids from the Antilles
in the Caribbean
, specifically Cuba
and Hispaniola
. Europe
, Australia
, Antarctica, and North America
north of the Rio Grande drainage have no native cichlids, although in Florida
, Mexico, Japan
and northern Australia
feral populations of cichlids have become established as exotics
.
Although most cichlids are found at relatively shallow depths, several exceptions do exist. These include species such as Alticorpus macrocleithrum
and Pallidochromis tokolosh
down to 150 metres (492.1 ft) below the surface in Lake Malawi
, and the whitish (non-pigmented
) and blind Lamprologus lethops
, which is believed to live as deep as 160 metres (524.9 ft) below the surface in the Congo River
.
Cichlids are less commonly found in brackish
and saltwater
habitats, though many species tolerate brackish water for extended periods; Cichlasoma urophthalmus, for example, is equally at home in freshwater marsh
es and mangrove
swamps, and lives and breeds in saltwater environments such as the mangrove belts around barrier island
s. Several species of Tilapia
, Sarotherodon
, and Oreochromis
are euryhaline
and can disperse along brackish coastlines between rivers. Only a few cichlids, however, inhabit primarily brackish or salt water, most notably Etroplus maculatus, Etroplus suratensis
, and Sarotherodon melanotheron. The perhaps most extreme habitats for cichlids are the warm hypersaline lake
s where the members of the genera Alcolapia
and Danakilia
are found. Lake Abaeded in Eritrea
encompasses the entire distribution of D. dinicolai
, and its temperature ranges from 29 to 45 °C (84.2 to 113 F).
With the exception of the species from Cuba and Hispaniola, cichlids have not reached any oceanic island and have a predominantly Gondwanan distribution, showing the precise sister relationships predicted by vicariance
: Africa-South America and India-Madagascar. The dispersal hypothesis, in contrast, requires cichlids to have negotiated thousands of kilometers of open ocean between India and Madagascar without colonizing any other island or, for that matter, crossing the Mozambique Channel
to Africa. Although the vast majority of Malagasy cichlids are entirely restricted to freshwater, Ptychochromis grandidieri
and Paretroplus polyactis
are commonly found in coastal brackish water and they are apparently salt tolerant, as is also the case for Etroplus maculatus
and E. suratensis
from India and Sri Lanka.
Many cichlids are primarily herbivores feeding on algae
(e.g. Petrochromis
) and plants (e.g. Etroplus suratensis
). Small animals, particularly invertebrate
s, are only a minor part of their diet.
Other cichlids are detritivore
s and eat all types of organic material; among these species are the tilapiines of the genera Oreochromis
, Sarotherodon
, and Tilapia
.
Other cichlids are predatory
and eat little or no plant matter. These include generalists that catch a variety of small animals, including other fishes and insect
larva
e (e.g. Pterophyllum
), as well as variety of specialists. Trematocranus
is a specialized snail
-eater, while Pungu maclareni feeds on sponges. A number of cichlids feed on other fish, either entirely or in part. Crenicichla
are stealth-predators that lunge from concealment at passing small fish, while Rhamphochromis
are open water pursuit predators that chase down their prey. Paedophagous
cichlids such as the Caprichromis
species eat other species' eggs or young, in some cases ramming the heads of mouthbrooding species to force them to disgorge their young. Among the more unusual feeding strategies are those of Corematodus
, Docimodus evelynae
, Plecodus
, Perissodus
, and Genyochromis spp., which feed on scales and fins of other fishes, a behavior known as lepidophagy
, along with the death-mimicking behaviour of Nimbochromis
and Parachromis
species, which lay motionless, luring small fish to their side prior to ambush.
This variety of feeding styles has helped cichlids to inhabit similarly varied habitats. Its pharyngeal teeth
(teeth in the throat) afford cichlids so many "niche" feeding strategies, because the jaws pick and hold food, while the pharyngeal teeth crush the prey.
Cichlids have highly organized breeding activities.
s and larva
e, often nurturing free-swimming young until they are weeks or months old.
Communal parental care, where multiple monogamous pairs care for a mixed school of young have also been observed in multiple cichlid species, including Amphilophus citrinellus
, Etroplus suratensis
, and Tilapia rendalli. Comparably, the fry of Neolamprologus brichardi
, a species that commonly lives in large groups, are protected not only by the adults, but also by older juveniles
from previous spawns.
Several cichlids, including discus (Symphysodon spp.), some Amphilophus
species, Etroplus
and Uaru
species feed their young with a skin secretion
from mucous glands.
Parental care falls into one of four categories: substrate or open brooders, secretive cave brooders (also known as guarding speleophils), and at least two types of mouthbrooder
s, ovophile mouthbrooders and larvophile mouthbrooders.
, Symphysodon
spp, and Anomalochromis thomasi
. Male and female parents usually engage in differing brooding roles. Most commonly, the male patrols the pair's territory and repels intruders, while females fan water over the eggs, removing the infertile and leading the fry while foraging. However, both sexes are able to perform the full range of parenting behaviours.
spp, and Apistogramma
spp. Free-swimming fry and parents communicate in captivity and in the wild. Frequently this communication is based on body movements, such as shaking and pelvic fin flicking. In addition, open and cave brooding parents assist in finding food resources for their fry. Multiple neotropical cichlid species perform leaf-turning and fin-digging behaviors.
lakes (Lake Malawi
, Lake Tanganyika
and Lake Victoria
) endemics, e.g.: Maylandia
, Pseudotropheus
, and Tropheus
, along with some South America
n cichlids such as Geophagus steindachneri
.
, and some Aequidens
, Gymnogeophagus
, and Satanoperca
. Mouthbrooders, whether of eggs or larvae, are predominantly females. Exceptions that also involve the males include eretmodine cichlids (genera Spathodus
, Eretmodus
, and Tanganicodus
), some Sarotherodon
species, Chromidotilapia guentheri
, and some Aequidens
species. Rare paternal mouthbrooding occurs, for example, in Sarotherodon melanotheron. This method appears to have evolved independently in several groups of African cichlids.
, Gymnogeophagus
, Spathodus
and Tanganicodus
are all monogamous mouthbrooders. In contrast, numerous open or cave spawning cichlids are polygamous; examples include Apistogramma
, Lamprologus
, Nannacara
and Pelvicachromis
.
, 52 as endangered
, and 106 as critically endangered
. At present, the IUCN only lists Yssichromis sp. nov. "argens" as extinct in the wild
, and six species are listed as entirely extinct, but it is acknowledged that many more possibly belong in these categories (for example, Haplochromis aelocephalus
, H. apogonoides
, H. dentex
, H. dichrourus
and numerous other members of the genus Haplochromis have not been seen since the 1980s, but are maintained as Critically Endangered in the small chance that tiny –but currently unknown– populations survive).
(Lates niloticus) and water hyacinth
, deforestation that led to water siltation
, and overfishing, many Lake Victoria
species have been wiped out or drastically reduced. By around 1980, lake fisheries yielded only 1 percent cichlids, a drastic decline from 80 percent in earlier years.
About two-thirds of endemic cichlids (approximately 300 species), especially bottom feeder
s, became endangered or extinct. Some survivors have adapted by becoming smaller or hybridizing with other species. Satellite lakes such as Lake Edward
and Lake Kyoga
have not been as strongly affected, however, and harbor an array of similar species.
is not uncommon in Central America
and South America
, as well as areas surrounding the Africa
n rift lake
s.
. Fast growing, tolerant of stocking density, and adaptable, tilapiine species have been introduced and farmed extensively in many parts of Asia
and are increasingly common aquaculture
targets elsewhere.
Farmed tilapia production is about 1500000 tonnes (1,476,305.3 LT) annually with an estimated value of US$1.8 billion, about equal to that of salmon
and trout
.
Unlike those carnivorous fish, tilapia can feed on algae
or any plant-based food. This reduces the cost of tilapia farming, reduces fishing pressure on prey species, avoids concentrating toxins that accumulate at higher levels of the food chain
and makes tilapia the preferred "aquatic chickens" of the trade.
(Cichla
species) of South America
is one of the most popular sportfish. It was introduced in many waters around the world. In Florida
, this fish generates millions of hours of fishing and sportfishing revenue of more than US$8 million a year. Other cichlids preferred by anglers include the Oscar, Mayan cichlid
(Cichlasoma urophthalmus), and jaguar guapote (Parachromis managuensis).
Since 1945, cichlids have become increasingly popular as aquarium fish. Many cichlids are small to medium-sized, easy to feed with a range of prepared fish food
s, breed readily, and practice brood care, making good aquarium fish.
The most common species in hobbyist aquaria is Pterophyllum
scalare from the Amazon River
basin in tropical South America, known in the trade as the "angelfish". Other popular or readily available species include the oscar (Astronotus ocellatus), convict cichlid
(Archocentrus nigrofasciatus) and discus
(Symphysodon spp.).
Cichlids can be kept in aquaria with other fish; however, many cichlids eat smaller fish. Conversely, some cichlids, such as Apistogramma
or Julidochromis
spp., can be timid. In such cases the use of dither fish
is recommended.
Some cichlids readily hybridize with related species, both in the wild and under artificial conditions. Other groups of fishes, such as European cyprinids, also hybridize. Unusually, cichlid hybrids have been put to extensive commercial use, in particular for aquaculture and aquaria. The hybrid red strain of tilapia
, for example, is often preferred in aquaculture for its rapid growth. Tilapia hybridization can produce all-male populations to control stock density or prevent reproduction in ponds.
. With a beak
-shaped mouth, an abnormal spine
, and an occasionally missing caudal fin (known as the "love heart" parrot
cichlid), the fish is controversial among aquarists. Some have called blood parrot cichlids "the Frankenstein monster of the fish world." Another notable hybrid, the flowerhorn cichlid, was very popular in some parts of Asia
from 2001 until late 2003, and is believed to bring good luck to its owner. The popularity of the flowerhorn cichlid declined in 2004. Owners released many specimens into the rivers and canals of Malaysia and Singapore
where they threaten endemic communities.
Numerous cichlid species have been selectively bred
to develop ornamental aquarium strains. The most intensive programs have involved angelfish
and discus
, and many mutation
s that affect both coloration and finnage are known. Other cichlids have been bred for albino, leucistic, and xanthistic
pigment
mutation
s, including oscars, convicts
and Pelvicachromis pulcher. Both dominant and recessive pigment mutations have been observed. In convict cichlid
s, for example, a leucistic coloration is recessively inherited, while in Oreochromis niloticus niloticus red coloration is caused by a dominant inherited mutation.
This selective breeding may have unintended consequence
s. For example, hybrid strains of Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
have health and fertility problems. Similarly, intentional inbreeding
can cause physical abnormalities, such as the notched phenotype
in angelfish
.
:
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
es from the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Cichlidae in the order Perciformes
Perciformes
The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, is one of the largest orders of vertebrates, containing about 40% of all bony fish. Perciformes means perch-like. They belong to the class of ray-finned fish and comprise over 7,000 species found in almost all aquatic environments...
. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei
Labroidei
Labroidei is a suborder of the Perciformes, the largest order of fish. The suborder includes the wrasses, cichlids and parrotfish....
along with the wrasses (Labridae), damselfish (Pomacentridae
Pomacentridae
Pomacentridae are a family of perciform fish, comprising the damselfishes and clownfishes. They are primarily marine, while a few species inhabit freshwater and brackish environments . They are noted for their hardy constitutions and territoriality...
), and surfperches (Embiotocidae
Embiotocidae
The surfperches are a family, Embiotocidae, of perciform fishes. They are found in coastal waters of the northern Pacific and grow up to 45 cm long....
). This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
have been scientifically described
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
, making it one of the largest vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
families. New species are discovered annually, and many species remain undescribed
Undescribed taxon
In taxonomy, an undescribed taxon is a taxon that has been discovered, but not yet formally described and named. The various Nomenclature Codes specify the requirements for a new taxon to be validly described and named. Until such a description has been published, the taxon has no formal or...
. The actual number of species is therefore unknown, with estimates varying between 1,300 and 3,000.
Description
Cichlids span a wide range of body sizes, from species as small as 2.5 centimetre (0.984251968503937 in) in length (e.g., female Neolamprologus multifasciatusNeolamprologus multifasciatus
Neolamprologus multifasciatus is one of the small shell-dwelling cichlids endemic to Lake Tanganyika. The male reaches five centimeters in length, and the female only 2.5 cm. This makes them one of the smallest cichlid species in the world. Its natural habitat is the neothauma shell beds of...
) to much larger species approaching 1 metres (3.3 ft) in length (e.g. Boulengerochromis and Cichla
Cichla
Cichla is a genus of fifteen described species of fish from the family Cichlidae. Kullander & Ferreira described nine species in a recent paper and suggest the genus may include 5-15 other species, yet to be described. The genus includes several species valued as game fish, collectively known as...
). As a group, cichlids exhibit a similar diversity of body shapes, ranging from strongly laterally compressed species (such as Altolamprologus
Altolamprologus
Altolamprologus is a small genus of pseudocrenilabrine cichlids endemic to Lake Tanganyika in eastern Africa. They inhabit areas of the lake with large amounts of rock, most frequently in water two to ten metres in depth. Two formally described species comprise this genus, with perhaps one dwarf A....
, Pterophyllum
Pterophyllum
Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as "Angelfish". All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins in tropical South America...
, and Symphysodon) to species that are cylindrical and highly elongate (such as Julidochromis
Julidochromis
Julidochromis is a genus of cichlids in the subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae. They are commonly called julies and are endemic to Lake Tanganyika in eastern Africa. This genus includes at least 5 species, each with a number of subspecies and local variants of uncertain taxonomic status...
, Teleogramma
Teleogramma
Teleogramma is an African genus of cichlids with only four species. These dark and slender fishes barely reaches in length, and are restricted to rapids in the Congo River in DR Congo/Congo Brazzaville....
, Teleocichla
Teleocichla
Teleocichla is a small genus of seven cichlid formally described species and several undescribed species, endemic to the Amazon River Basin in South America. All species are rheophilic, and highly elongated in shape...
, Crenicichla
Crenicichla
Crenicichla is a genus of the cichlids family ; it contains the pike cichlids. It is the most speciose genus of South American cichlids, including approximately 115 species as of 2009; one or two species are on average described as new each year...
, and Gobiocichla
Gobiocichla
Gobiocichla is a small genus of cichlids with only two species.These species are Gobiocichla wonderi and Gobiocichla ethelwynnae.-References:* http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/gobio_wonderi_pt1.php...
). Generally, however, cichlids tend to be of medium size, ovate in shape and slightly laterally compressed, and generally similar to the North American sunfishes
Centrarchidae
The sunfishes are a family of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the order Perciformes. The type genus is Centrarchus . The family's 27 species includes many fishes familiar to North Americans, including the rock bass, largemouth bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappies...
in morphology, behavior, and ecology.
Many cichlids, particularly tilapia
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
, are important food fishes, while others are valued game fish (e.g. Cichla
Cichla
Cichla is a genus of fifteen described species of fish from the family Cichlidae. Kullander & Ferreira described nine species in a recent paper and suggest the genus may include 5-15 other species, yet to be described. The genus includes several species valued as game fish, collectively known as...
species). The family also includes many familiar aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
fish, including the angelfish, oscars
Astronotus ocellatus
Astronotus ocellatus is a species of fish from the cichlid family known under a variety of common names, including oscar, tiger oscar, velvet cichlid, or marble cichlid. In South America, where the species naturally resides, A. ocellatus specimens are often found for sale as a food fish in the...
, and discus. Cichlids have the largest number of endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
among vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
families, most in the haplochromine
Haplochromine
The haplochromine cichlids are a tribe of cichlids in subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae called Haplochromini. This group includes the type genus plus a number of closely related genera such as Aulonocara, Astatotilapia, and Chilotilapia. They are endemic to eastern and southern Africa...
group. Cichlids are particularly well known for having evolved rapidly
Adaptive radiation
In evolutionary biology, adaptive radiation is the evolution of ecological and phenotypic diversity within a rapidly multiplying lineage. Starting with a recent single ancestor, this process results in the speciation and phenotypic adaptation of an array of species exhibiting different...
into a large number of closely related but morphologically diverse species
Species flock
In evolutionary biology, a species flock is a diverse, primarily monophyletic, group of closely related species in an isolated area.A species flock may arise when a species penetrates a new geographical area and diversifies to occupy a variety of ecological niches; this process is known as...
within large lakes, particularly Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
, Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
, Malawi
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
, and Edward
Lake Edward
Lake Edward or Edward Nyanza is the smallest of the African Great Lakes. It is located in the western Great Rift Valley, on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with its northern shore a few kilometres south of the Equator...
. Their diversity in the African Great Lakes is important for the study of speciation
Speciation
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise. The biologist Orator F. Cook seems to have been the first to coin the term 'speciation' for the splitting of lineages or 'cladogenesis,' as opposed to 'anagenesis' or 'phyletic evolution' occurring within lineages...
in evolution. Many cichlids that have been introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
into waters outside of their natural range have become nuisances, such as tilapia
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
in the southern United States.
Anatomy and appearance
Pharyngeal teeth
Pharyngeal teeth are teeth in the pharyngeal arch of the throat of cyprinids, suckers, and a number of other fish species lacking teeth.Popular aquarium fish such as goldfish and loaches have these structures. Members of the Botia genus such as clown loaches are known to make distinctive clicking...
into a single tooth-bearing structure. A complex set of muscles allows the upper and lower pharyngeal bones to be used as a second set of jaws for processing food, allowing a division of labor between the "true jaws" (mandible
Mandible
The mandible pronunciation or inferior maxillary bone forms the lower jaw and holds the lower teeth in place...
s) and the "pharyngeal jaws
Pharyngeal jaws
Pharyngeal jaws are a "second set" of jaws contained within an animal's throat, or pharynx, distinct from the primary jaws. They are believed to have originated as modified gill arches, in much the same way as oral jaws....
". Cichlids are efficient feeders that capture and process a very wide variety of food items. This is assumed to be one reason why they are so diverse. Cichlids vary in body shape, ranging from compressed and disc-shaped (such as Symphysodon), to triangular (such as Pterophyllum
Pterophyllum
Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as "Angelfish". All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins in tropical South America...
), to elongate and cylindrical (such as Crenicichla
Crenicichla
Crenicichla is a genus of the cichlids family ; it contains the pike cichlids. It is the most speciose genus of South American cichlids, including approximately 115 species as of 2009; one or two species are on average described as new each year...
).
The features that distinguish them from the other Labroidei include:
- A single nostril on each side of the forehead, instead of two.
- No bony shelf below the orbit of the eye.
- Division of the lateral lineLateral lineThe lateral line is a sense organ in aquatic organisms , used to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water. Lateral lines are usually visible as faint lines running lengthwise down each side, from the vicinity of the gill covers to the base of the tail...
organ into two sections, one on the upper half of the flank and a second along the midline of the flank from about halfway along the body to the base of the tail (except for genera TeleogrammaTeleogrammaTeleogramma is an African genus of cichlids with only four species. These dark and slender fishes barely reaches in length, and are restricted to rapids in the Congo River in DR Congo/Congo Brazzaville....
and GobiocichlaGobiocichlaGobiocichla is a small genus of cichlids with only two species.These species are Gobiocichla wonderi and Gobiocichla ethelwynnae.-References:* http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/gobio_wonderi_pt1.php...
). - A distinctively shaped otolithOtolithAn otolith, , also called statoconium or otoconium is a structure in the saccule or utricle of the inner ear, specifically in the vestibular labyrinth of vertebrates. The saccule and utricle, in turn, together make the otolith organs. They are sensitive to gravity and linear acceleration...
. - The small intestineSmall intestineThe small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach and followed by the large intestine, and is where much of the digestion and absorption of food takes place. In invertebrates such as worms, the terms "gastrointestinal tract" and "large intestine" are often used to...
's left-side exit from the stomachStomachThe stomach is a muscular, hollow, dilated part of the alimentary canal which functions as an important organ of the digestive tract in some animals, including vertebrates, echinoderms, insects , and molluscs. It is involved in the second phase of digestion, following mastication .The stomach is...
instead of its right side as in other Labroidei.
Taxonomy
KullanderSven O. Kullander
Sven Oscar Kullander is a Swedish biologist specialised in ichthyology.He primarily researches cichlids – notably the genus Apistogramma and the Cichlasoma-complex – and other tropical fresh water fishes....
(1998) recognizes eight subfamilies of cichlids: the Astronotinae
Astronotinae
Astronotinae is a subfamily of cichlids from South America, where they are found in the Amazon, Orinoco, Paraná and Paraguay river basins, and various rivers in the Guianas. The subfamily includes three genera, each with two species....
, Cichlasomatinae
Cichlasomatinae
Cichlasomatinae is a subfamily of cichlid fishes. It includes all ciclids native to islands in the Caribbean , USA , Mexico and Central America, and many of the cichlids from South America...
, Cichlinae
Cichlinae
Cichlinae is a subfamily of South American fishes in the cichlid family. They are predatory and relatively elongated in shape. Of the three genera in the subfamily, some species of Cichla reach almost in length, making them by far the largest cichlids of the Americas, and among the largest...
, Etroplinae
Etroplinae
Etroplinae is a subfamily in the cichlid family of fishes. The subfamily includes two genera: Etroplus, which are the only cichlids native to India and Sri Lanka, and Paretroplus from Madagascar .-References: : Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the Malagasy and South Asian...
, Geophaginae
Geophaginae
Geophaginae is a subfamily of cichlid fishes from South America, where they are found as far west as the Andes and as far south as northern Argentina...
, Heterochromidinae, Pseudocrenilabrinae
Pseudocrenilabrinae
The Pseudocrenilabrinae is a subfamily in the cichlid family of fishes to which, according to a study from 2004, includes all the Middle Eastern and African cichlids with the exception of the unusual Heterochromis multidens and the Malagasy species. Previous authors recognized additional African...
, and Retroculinae
Retroculinae
Retroculus is a fish genus from the cichlid family. It is the only member of the Retroculinae subfamily. Of the three described species, two are native to rivers in southeastern Amazon Basin in Brazil, while the final is native to rivers in Amapá and French Guiana...
. Cichlid taxonomy is still debated, and classification of genera
Genera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
cannot yet be definitively given. A comprehensive system of assigning species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
to monophyletic
Monophyly
In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...
genera is still lacking, and there is not complete agreement on what genera should be recognized in this family.
As an example of the classification problems, Kullander placed the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n genus Heterochromis phylogenetically within neotropical cichlids, although later papers concluded otherwise. Other problems center upon the identity of the putative common ancestor for the Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
superflock, and the ancestral lineages of Tanganyikan
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
cichlids.
Comparisons between a morphologically-based phylogeny and analyses of gene loci produce differences at the genus level. There remains a consensus that the Cichlidae as a family is monophyletic.
One problem that transformed cichlid taxonomy is related to dentition
Dentition
Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age...
, which had been used as a classifying characteristic. In many cichlids, tooth shape changes with age, due to wear, and cannot be relied upon. Genome sequencing
DNA sequencing
DNA sequencing includes several methods and technologies that are used for determining the order of the nucleotide bases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine—in a molecule of DNA....
and other technologies transformed cichlid taxonomy.
Range and habitat
Ostariophysi
Ostariophysi is the second-largest superorder of fish. Members of this superorder are called ostariophysians. This diverse group contains almost 8,000 species, about 28% of known fish species in the world and 68% of freshwater species, and are present on all major continents except Antarctica...
family in freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
s worldwide. They are most diverse in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It is estimated that Africa alone hosts at least 1,600 species. Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
have approximately 120 species, as far north as the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
in southern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
has its own distinctive species (Oxylapia, Paratilapia
Paratilapia
Paratilapia is a genus of cichlids with only two known species. They occur on Madagascar.Phylogenetic analsysis of DNA sequence and morphological data have hitherto been unable to resolve the relationships of the genus to satisfaction...
, Paretroplus
Paretroplus
Paretroplus is a genus of fishes in the cichlid family, all of which are endemic to lakes and rivers of Madagascar. The vast majority are threatened and restricted to the northwestern part of the island. Only P. polyactis is found in the southern half of Madagascar and only P. polyactis and P....
, Ptychochromis
Ptychochromis
Ptychochromis is a genus of fishes from the cichlid family. They are found in rivers and lakes in Madagascar, and a single species can also be seen in brackish water. Most species in this genus are threatened, and P. onilahy is probably extinct. Most reach a length of , but P. grandidieri reaches...
, and Ptychochromoides
Ptychochromoides
Ptychochromoides is a genus of fish in the cichlid family from Madagascar. Of the tree described species, two are critically endangered and one was considered extinct until rediscovered in late 2010.-Species:...
), only distantly related to those on the African mainland. Native cichlids are largely absent in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, except for nine species in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
(Astatotilapia flaviijosephi, Oreochromis aureus
Oreochromis aureus
Oreochromis aureus is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. Native to Northern and Western Africa, and the Middle East, through introductions it is now also established elsewhere, including parts of the United States, where it has been declared an invasive species and has caused significant...
, O. niloticus
Oreochromis niloticus
The Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus is a relatively large cichlid fish, which is native to Africa from Egypt south to East and Central Africa, and as far west as Gambia. It is also native to Israel, and numerous introduced populations exist outside its natural range.It is also commercially...
, Sarotherodon galilaeus , Tilapia zillii, and Tristramella
Tristramella
Tristramella is a genus of fishes in the Cichlidae family. The four species in this genus are restricted to Israel and Syria, where they are among the relatively few native cichlids .Tristramella intermedia and T...
spp.), one in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
(Iranocichla
Iranocichla
Iranocichla hormuzensis is a species of mouthbrooding fish from the cichlid family. It is the only member of its genus, and reaches a length of about . It is restricted to freshwater and brackish habitats in southern Iran. It is the only species of cichlid native to this country, and among the few...
), and three in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
(Etroplus
Etroplus
Etroplus is a small genus of cichlids with only three species. They are found in southern India and Sri Lanka, where they are the only native cichlids.Their closest living relatives are Paretroplus from Madagascar...
). If disregarding Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
(where the few native cichlids are members of genera that are widespread in the South American mainland), the three species from the genus Nandopsis
Nandopsis
Nandopsis is a small genus of cichlid fishes found in lakes, streams and rivers in Cuba and Hispaniola. If disregarding Trinidad and Tobago , Nandopsis are the only cichlids native to the Antilles.-Species:The genus currently contains three species, although some...
are the only cichlids from the Antilles
Antilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, specifically Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
. Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Antarctica, and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
north of the Rio Grande drainage have no native cichlids, although in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Mexico, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and northern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
feral populations of cichlids have become established as exotics
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
.
Although most cichlids are found at relatively shallow depths, several exceptions do exist. These include species such as Alticorpus macrocleithrum
Alticorpus macrocleithrum
Alticorpus macrocleithrum is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is endemic to Lake Malawi, where it can be found at depths between . This species differs from all other species of Alticorpus by the presence of a prominent ventral protuberance of the cleithrum on the chest, hence the name...
and Pallidochromis tokolosh
Pallidochromis tokolosh
Pallidochromis is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cichlidae. It is monotypic, containing only the species Pallidochromis tokolosh...
down to 150 metres (492.1 ft) below the surface in Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
, and the whitish (non-pigmented
Biological pigment
Biological pigments, also known simply as pigments or biochromes are substances produced by living organisms that have a color resulting from selective color absorption. Biological pigments include plant pigments and flower pigments...
) and blind Lamprologus lethops
Lamprologus lethops
Lamprologus lethops is a species of cichlid fish from the Congo River in Central Africa, where it is believed to live in depths as great as below the surface. It reaches about in length, is all whitish and blind....
, which is believed to live as deep as 160 metres (524.9 ft) below the surface in the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
.
Cichlids are less commonly found in brackish
Brackish water
Brackish water is water that has more salinity than fresh water, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing of seawater with fresh water, as in estuaries, or it may occur in brackish fossil aquifers. The word comes from the Middle Dutch root "brak," meaning "salty"...
and saltwater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
habitats, though many species tolerate brackish water for extended periods; Cichlasoma urophthalmus, for example, is equally at home in freshwater marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es and mangrove
Mangrove
Mangroves are various kinds of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics and subtropics – mainly between latitudes N and S...
swamps, and lives and breeds in saltwater environments such as the mangrove belts around barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
s. Several species of Tilapia
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
, Sarotherodon
Sarotherodon
Sarotherodon is a genus of tilapiine cichlids, fishes endemic to Africa and the Middle East. A few species from this genus have been introduced far outside their native range, and are important in aquaculture. They mainly inhabit fresh and brackish water, but a few can live in salt water...
, and Oreochromis
Oreochromis
Oreochromis is a large genus of tilapiine cichlids, fishes endemic to Africa and the Middle East. Several species from this genus have been introduced far outside their native range, and are important in aquaculture...
are euryhaline
Euryhaline
Euryhaline organisms are able to adapt to a wide range of salinities. An example of a euryhaline fish is the molly which can live in fresh, brackish, or salt water. The European shore crab is an example of a euryhaline invertebrate that can live in salt and brackish water...
and can disperse along brackish coastlines between rivers. Only a few cichlids, however, inhabit primarily brackish or salt water, most notably Etroplus maculatus, Etroplus suratensis
Etroplus suratensis
The green chromide is a species of cichlid fish from freshwater and brackish water in southern India and Sri Lanka...
, and Sarotherodon melanotheron. The perhaps most extreme habitats for cichlids are the warm hypersaline lake
Hypersaline lake
A hypersaline lake is a landlocked body of water that contains significant concentrations of sodium chloride or other mineral salts, with saline levels surpassing that of ocean water . Specific microbial and crustacean species thrive in these high salinity environments that are otherwise...
s where the members of the genera Alcolapia
Alcolapia
Alcolapia is a genus of fishes in the Cichlidae family. Their native range is largely restricted to the hypersaline, warm Lake Natron and Lake Magadi in Kenya and Tanzania, although two species also have been introduced to Lake Nakuru.-Species:...
and Danakilia
Danakilia
Danakilia is a genus of cichlid fish containing two species, namely Danakilia franchettii from the saline Lake Giulietti in Ethiopia, and Danakilia dinicolai from the saline Lake Abaeded in Eritrea....
are found. Lake Abaeded in Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
encompasses the entire distribution of D. dinicolai
Danakilia dinicolai
Danakilia dinicolai is a species of cichlid fish from the saline Lake Abaeded in Eritrea....
, and its temperature ranges from 29 to 45 °C (84.2 to 113 F).
With the exception of the species from Cuba and Hispaniola, cichlids have not reached any oceanic island and have a predominantly Gondwanan distribution, showing the precise sister relationships predicted by vicariance
Vicariance
Vicariance is a process by which the geographical range of an individual taxon, or a whole biota, is split into discontinuous parts by the formation of a physical barrier to gene flow or dispersal. Vicariance of whole biotas occurs following large-scale geophysical events such as the uplift of a...
: Africa-South America and India-Madagascar. The dispersal hypothesis, in contrast, requires cichlids to have negotiated thousands of kilometers of open ocean between India and Madagascar without colonizing any other island or, for that matter, crossing the Mozambique Channel
Mozambique Channel
The Mozambique Channel is a portion of the Indian Ocean located between the island nation of Madagascar and southeast Africa, primarily the country of Mozambique. It was a World War II clashpoint during the Battle of Madagascar...
to Africa. Although the vast majority of Malagasy cichlids are entirely restricted to freshwater, Ptychochromis grandidieri
Ptychochromis grandidieri
Ptychochromis grandidieri is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is endemic to river basins along a large part of the eastern coast of Madagascar, although it has been recorded as far as inland. Uniquely in the genus Ptychochromis, this species also occurs in brackish water. It reaches a...
and Paretroplus polyactis
Paretroplus polyactis
Paretroplus polyactis is a vulnerable species of cichlid fish found widely in fresh and brackish water in coastal regions and associated river basins in eastern Madagascar. It is the only Paretroplus found in the southern half of Madagascar, and one of only two found in eastern drainages . P...
are commonly found in coastal brackish water and they are apparently salt tolerant, as is also the case for Etroplus maculatus
Orange chromide
The Orange chromide is a species of fish endemic to freshwater and brackish streams, lagoons and estuaries in southern India and Sri Lanka. The species is popular with fishkeeping hobbyists, and is kept frequently in aquariums...
and E. suratensis
Green chromide
The green chromide is a species of cichlid fish from freshwater and brackish water in southern India and Sri Lanka...
from India and Sri Lanka.
Feeding
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
(e.g. Petrochromis
Petrochromis
Petrochromis is a small genus of seven formally described cichlid species, and at least 7 undescribed species, all endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.-Species:* Petrochromis famula Matthes & Trewavas, 1960...
) and plants (e.g. Etroplus suratensis
Etroplus suratensis
The green chromide is a species of cichlid fish from freshwater and brackish water in southern India and Sri Lanka...
). Small animals, particularly invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s, are only a minor part of their diet.
Other cichlids are detritivore
Detritivore
Detritivores, also known as detritophages or detritus feeders or detritus eaters or saprophages, are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus . By doing so, they contribute to decomposition and the nutrient cycles...
s and eat all types of organic material; among these species are the tilapiines of the genera Oreochromis
Oreochromis
Oreochromis is a large genus of tilapiine cichlids, fishes endemic to Africa and the Middle East. Several species from this genus have been introduced far outside their native range, and are important in aquaculture...
, Sarotherodon
Sarotherodon
Sarotherodon is a genus of tilapiine cichlids, fishes endemic to Africa and the Middle East. A few species from this genus have been introduced far outside their native range, and are important in aquaculture. They mainly inhabit fresh and brackish water, but a few can live in salt water...
, and Tilapia
Tilapia (genus)
Tilapia is a large genus of cichlid fishes endemic to Africa, except for a single species that also occurs in the Middle East. The vast majority of the species are from tropical Western and Middle Africa, but there are also a few species in Northern, Eastern and Southern Africa...
.
Other cichlids are predatory
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
and eat little or no plant matter. These include generalists that catch a variety of small animals, including other fishes and insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e (e.g. Pterophyllum
Pterophyllum
Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as "Angelfish". All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins in tropical South America...
), as well as variety of specialists. Trematocranus
Trematocranus
Trematocranus is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to East Africa.At present, only three validly described species are placed here:* Trematocranus labifer* Trematocranus microstoma – Pointedhead Haplo...
is a specialized snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
-eater, while Pungu maclareni feeds on sponges. A number of cichlids feed on other fish, either entirely or in part. Crenicichla
Crenicichla
Crenicichla is a genus of the cichlids family ; it contains the pike cichlids. It is the most speciose genus of South American cichlids, including approximately 115 species as of 2009; one or two species are on average described as new each year...
are stealth-predators that lunge from concealment at passing small fish, while Rhamphochromis
Rhamphochromis
Rhamphochromis is a genus of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. The genus contains numerous species all of which are latterally compressed pursuit predators....
are open water pursuit predators that chase down their prey. Paedophagous
Paedophagy
Paedophagy literally means the "consumption of children". It is a term used to describe the feeding behaviour of fish, or other animals, whose diet is partially, or primarily the eggs or larvae of other animals. The term is frequently applied to various species of cichlid fish from Lake Malawi of...
cichlids such as the Caprichromis
Caprichromis
Caprichromis is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. This genus contains noted paedophagous cichlids, specialising in the eating of eggs and fry of other cichlid species....
species eat other species' eggs or young, in some cases ramming the heads of mouthbrooding species to force them to disgorge their young. Among the more unusual feeding strategies are those of Corematodus
Corematodus
Corematodus is a small genus of cichlids with only two species....
, Docimodus evelynae
Docimodus
Docimodus is a small genus of cichlid fish endemic to east Africa. The genus contains two species; Docimodus johnstoni endemic to Lake Malawi, Lake Malombe and the upper reaches of the Shire River and Docimodus evelynae which is limited in its distribution to Lake Malawi.-References:FishBase Eds....
, Plecodus
Plecodus
Plecodus is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family. All species are endemic to Lake Tanganyika. It contains the following species:* Plecodus elaviae* Plecodus multidentatus* Plecodus paradoxus* Plecodus straeleni...
, Perissodus
Perissodus
Perissodus is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family.It contains at least seven species:* Perissodus eccentricus* Perissodus elaviae* Perissodus hecqui* Perissodus microlepis* Perissodus multidentatus* Perissodus paradoxus...
, and Genyochromis spp., which feed on scales and fins of other fishes, a behavior known as lepidophagy
Lepidophagy
Lepidophagy is a specialised feeding behaviour in fish that involves eating of scales of other fish. Lepidophagy is widespread, having been independently evolved in at least five freshwater families and seven marine families...
, along with the death-mimicking behaviour of Nimbochromis
Nimbochromis
Nimbochromis is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. They are known as sleeper cichlids or kaligono , due to their unique hunting behaviour....
and Parachromis
Parachromis
Parachromis is a genus of freshwater fishes from the family Cichlidae. The genus contains 5 species and is limited in its distribution to Central America. Some species occur in Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua. All species are predatory and relatively large for cichlids.Parachromis friedrichsthalii...
species, which lay motionless, luring small fish to their side prior to ambush.
This variety of feeding styles has helped cichlids to inhabit similarly varied habitats. Its pharyngeal teeth
Pharyngeal teeth
Pharyngeal teeth are teeth in the pharyngeal arch of the throat of cyprinids, suckers, and a number of other fish species lacking teeth.Popular aquarium fish such as goldfish and loaches have these structures. Members of the Botia genus such as clown loaches are known to make distinctive clicking...
(teeth in the throat) afford cichlids so many "niche" feeding strategies, because the jaws pick and hold food, while the pharyngeal teeth crush the prey.
Reproduction
Brood care
All species show some form of parental care for both eggEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s and larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e, often nurturing free-swimming young until they are weeks or months old.
Communal parental care, where multiple monogamous pairs care for a mixed school of young have also been observed in multiple cichlid species, including Amphilophus citrinellus
Amphilophus citrinellus
Amphilophus citrinellus is a large cichlid fish endemic to the San Juan River and adjacent watersheds in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. In the aquarium trade A. citrinellus is often sold under the trade name of Midas cichlid. A. citrinellus are omnivorous and their diet consists of plant material,...
, Etroplus suratensis
Etroplus suratensis
The green chromide is a species of cichlid fish from freshwater and brackish water in southern India and Sri Lanka...
, and Tilapia rendalli. Comparably, the fry of Neolamprologus brichardi
Neolamprologus brichardi
Neolamprologus brichardi is a species of cichlid fish, endemic to the alkaline waters of Lake Tanganyika in east Africa. It is a popular aquarium fish kept in the fishkeeping hobby, where it is known under a variety of common names including Princess cichlid, Princess of Burundi, Lyretail cichlid,...
, a species that commonly lives in large groups, are protected not only by the adults, but also by older juveniles
Juvenile (organism)
A juvenile is an individual organism that has not yet reached its adult form, sexual maturity or size. Juveniles sometimes look very different from the adult form, particularly in terms of their colour...
from previous spawns.
Several cichlids, including discus (Symphysodon spp.), some Amphilophus
Amphilophus
Amphilophus is a genus of cichlid fishes from Central America. The genus currently contains 23 species. However, a 2008 study led by Oldrich Rican suggested that several species within Amphilophus should be moved to the genus Astatheros. Species proposed to be moved to Astatheros are A. alfari,...
species, Etroplus
Etroplus
Etroplus is a small genus of cichlids with only three species. They are found in southern India and Sri Lanka, where they are the only native cichlids.Their closest living relatives are Paretroplus from Madagascar...
and Uaru
Uaru
Uaru is a small genus of cichlid fishes with only two species. The name Uaru comes from the Amazon word for toad. The genus occurs in blackwater and whitewater habitats in the upper Orinoco and Rio Negro rivers of the Amazon basin. U. amphiacanthoides is frequently available as a food fish in...
species feed their young with a skin secretion
Secretion
Secretion is the process of elaborating, releasing, and oozing chemicals, or a secreted chemical substance from a cell or gland. In contrast to excretion, the substance may have a certain function, rather than being a waste product...
from mucous glands.
Parental care falls into one of four categories: substrate or open brooders, secretive cave brooders (also known as guarding speleophils), and at least two types of mouthbrooder
Mouthbrooder
Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a variety of different animals, most notably Darwin's...
s, ovophile mouthbrooders and larvophile mouthbrooders.
Open brooding
Open or substrate brooding cichlids lay their eggs in the open, on rocks, leaves, or logs. Examples of open brooding cichlids include PterophyllumPterophyllum
Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as "Angelfish". All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins in tropical South America...
, Symphysodon
Discus (fish)
Discus are a genus of three species of cichlid freshwater fishes native to the Amazon River basin. Discus are popular as aquarium fish and their aquaculture in several countries in Asia is a major industry.-Taxonomy:...
spp, and Anomalochromis thomasi
Anomalochromis thomasi
Anomalochromis thomasi is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae, the only species in the genus Anomalochromis. It is a small cichlid growing to a length of . The natural habitat of A. thomasi is Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, mainly in smaller streams...
. Male and female parents usually engage in differing brooding roles. Most commonly, the male patrols the pair's territory and repels intruders, while females fan water over the eggs, removing the infertile and leading the fry while foraging. However, both sexes are able to perform the full range of parenting behaviours.
Cave brooding
Secretive cave spawning cichlids lay their eggs in caves, crevices, holes, or discarded mollusc shells, frequently attaching the eggs to the roof of the chamber. Examples include Pelvicachromis spp., ArchocentrusConvict cichlid
The Convict cichlid is a fish species from the family Cichlidae, native to Central America, also known as the zebra cichlid...
spp, and Apistogramma
Apistogramma
Apistogramma is a genus of approximately a hundred species of fish from the family Cichlidae found in tropical areas of the Amazon basin and Venezuela. Apistogramma literally means "irregular lateral line" referring to a common trait of the species under this taxon...
spp. Free-swimming fry and parents communicate in captivity and in the wild. Frequently this communication is based on body movements, such as shaking and pelvic fin flicking. In addition, open and cave brooding parents assist in finding food resources for their fry. Multiple neotropical cichlid species perform leaf-turning and fin-digging behaviors.
Ovophile mouthbrooding
Ovophile mouthbrooders incubate their eggs in their mouths as soon as they are laid, and frequently mouthbrood free-swimming fry for several weeks. Examples include many Great Rift ValleyGreat Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
lakes (Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi , is an African Great Lake and the southernmost lake in the Great Rift Valley system of East Africa. This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania...
, Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
and Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
) endemics, e.g.: Maylandia
Maylandia
Maylandia or Metriaclima is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. They belong to the mbuna haplochromines....
, Pseudotropheus
Pseudotropheus
Pseudotropheus is a genus of rock dwelling cichlids found in Lake Malawi. Like some other large cichlid genera, such as Cichlasoma, a number of related fishes have been recently re-assigned to different genera such as Tropheops or Maylandia...
, and Tropheus
Tropheus
Tropheus is a small genus of six species of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. The genus Tropheus is widespread across all regions of lake Tanganyika, from Burundi in the North to Zambia in the South.Males and females are relatively similar but do display obvious sexual...
, along with some South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n cichlids such as Geophagus steindachneri
Geophagus steindachneri
Redhump eartheater is a South American Eartheater Cichlid of the genus Geophagus. It is sometimes referred to by one of two invalid junior synonyms, Geophagus hondae or Geophagus magdalena.-Location:...
.
Larvophile mouthbrooding
Larvophile mouthbrooders lay eggs in the open or in a cave and take the hatched larvae into the mouth. Examples include some variants of Geophagus altifronsGeophagus altifrons
The Geophagus altifrons is a freshwater eartheater cichlid fish native to South America, particularly in the Amazon Forest. Introduced to Singapore, it thrives in slow-moving streams as well as reservoirs. Its ecological impact on its adopted habitat is still unknown.A member of the Cichlidae...
, and some Aequidens
Aequidens
Aequidens is a genus of fish in the family Cichlidae. The genus itself is poorly defined and polyphyletic. Many species have been reallocated to other genera such as Bujurquina, Laetacara, Tahuantinsuyoa , Krobia and Cleithracara .Two fishes commonly sold in the aquarium hobby are Aequidens rivulatus...
, Gymnogeophagus
Gymnogeophagus
Gymnogeophagus is a genus of cichlid fishes from South America, where they found are known from various river basins in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina. They are part of a group popularly known as eartheaters.-Species:...
, and Satanoperca
Satanoperca
Satanoperca is a small genus of cichlid fishes from South America, where they are known from the Orinoco, Essequibo, Nickerie, Amazon, Paraná and Paraguay river basins...
. Mouthbrooders, whether of eggs or larvae, are predominantly females. Exceptions that also involve the males include eretmodine cichlids (genera Spathodus
Spathodus
Spathodus is a small genus of two cichlid species endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.-Species:*Spathodus erythrodon -Blue-Spotted Goby Cichlid [Boulenger, 1900] *Spathodus marlieri [Poll, 1950]-References:...
, Eretmodus
Eretmodus
Eretmodus is a monotypic genus of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. The genus currently contains one species, Eretmodus cyanostictus.-References:...
, and Tanganicodus
Tanganicodus
Tanganicodus is a monotypic cichlid genus whose single representative, Tanganicodus irsacae, or the Spotfin Goby Cichlid, is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.-References:...
), some Sarotherodon
Sarotherodon
Sarotherodon is a genus of tilapiine cichlids, fishes endemic to Africa and the Middle East. A few species from this genus have been introduced far outside their native range, and are important in aquaculture. They mainly inhabit fresh and brackish water, but a few can live in salt water...
species, Chromidotilapia guentheri
Chromidotilapia guentheri
Chromidotilapia guentheri, sometimes referred to as Guenther's Mouthbrooder, is a cichlid fish from west Africa. It is noted for being a biparental mouthbrooder. Eggs are laid on a flat open surface and taken in the parents' mouth. Unlike many mouthbrooding cichlid species, both parents...
, and some Aequidens
Aequidens
Aequidens is a genus of fish in the family Cichlidae. The genus itself is poorly defined and polyphyletic. Many species have been reallocated to other genera such as Bujurquina, Laetacara, Tahuantinsuyoa , Krobia and Cleithracara .Two fishes commonly sold in the aquarium hobby are Aequidens rivulatus...
species. Rare paternal mouthbrooding occurs, for example, in Sarotherodon melanotheron. This method appears to have evolved independently in several groups of African cichlids.
Mating
Cichlids mate either monogamously or polygamously. The mating system of a given cichlid species is not consistently associated with its brooding system. For example, although most monogamous cichlids are not mouthbrooders, ChromidotilapiaChromidotilapia
Chromidotilapia is a genus of cichlid fishes. The genus contains 11 species. Of these, 9 are from Central Africa, one is from Liberia to Cameroon, while the final Chromidotilapia is a genus of cichlid fishes. The genus contains 11 species. Of these, 9 are from Central Africa, one (C. guentheri) is...
, Gymnogeophagus
Gymnogeophagus
Gymnogeophagus is a genus of cichlid fishes from South America, where they found are known from various river basins in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina. They are part of a group popularly known as eartheaters.-Species:...
, Spathodus
Spathodus
Spathodus is a small genus of two cichlid species endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.-Species:*Spathodus erythrodon -Blue-Spotted Goby Cichlid [Boulenger, 1900] *Spathodus marlieri [Poll, 1950]-References:...
and Tanganicodus
Tanganicodus
Tanganicodus is a monotypic cichlid genus whose single representative, Tanganicodus irsacae, or the Spotfin Goby Cichlid, is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.-References:...
are all monogamous mouthbrooders. In contrast, numerous open or cave spawning cichlids are polygamous; examples include Apistogramma
Apistogramma
Apistogramma is a genus of approximately a hundred species of fish from the family Cichlidae found in tropical areas of the Amazon basin and Venezuela. Apistogramma literally means "irregular lateral line" referring to a common trait of the species under this taxon...
, Lamprologus
Lamprologus
Lamprologus is a genus of fishes from the cichlid family. They are native to Lake Tanganyika and the Congo River Basin in Africa. The type species for this genus is Lamprologus congoensis, a species from the Congo River. The genus is under some revision and may eventually be restricted to these...
, Nannacara
Nannacara
Nannacara is a genus of small freshwater cichlid fish endemic to South America. The genus is part of the Cichlasomatini tribe of the Cichlasomatinae subfamily. In the aquarium hobby, the fish is considered a dwarf cichlid along with Apistogramma, Mikrogeophagus, and Dicrossus species...
and Pelvicachromis
Pelvicachromis
The genus Pelvicachromis includes a range of small , brightly coloured cichlids which occur in tropical West Africa and Central Africa. They typically inhabit soft, acidic water ....
.
Population status
In 2010, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified 184 species as vulnerableVulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
, 52 as endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, and 106 as critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
. At present, the IUCN only lists Yssichromis sp. nov. "argens" as extinct in the wild
Extinct in the Wild
Extinct in the Wild is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa, the only known living members of which are being kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.-Examples:...
, and six species are listed as entirely extinct, but it is acknowledged that many more possibly belong in these categories (for example, Haplochromis aelocephalus
Haplochromis aelocephalus
Haplochromis aelocephalus is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is endemic to Lake Victoria, but has not been seen since 1985. It may be extinct, but is maintained as Critically Endangered by the IUCN in the small chance that a tiny –but currently unknown– population survives.-Source:*...
, H. apogonoides
Haplochromis apogonoides
Haplochromis apogonoides is a species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Victoria, but has not been seen since 1983. It may be extinct, but is maintained as Critically Endangered by the IUCN in the small chance that a tiny –but currently unknown– population survives....
, H. dentex
Haplochromis dentex
Haplochromis dentex is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is endemic to Lake Victoria, but has not been seen since 1987. It may be extinct, but is maintained as Critically Endangered by the IUCN in the small chance that a tiny –but currently unknown– population survives.-Source:*...
, H. dichrourus
Haplochromis dichrourus
Haplochromis dichrourus is a species of fish in the cichlid family. It is endemic to Lake Victoria, but has not been seen since 1986. It may be extinct, but is maintained as Critically Endangered by the IUCN in the small chance that a tiny –but currently unknown– population survives....
and numerous other members of the genus Haplochromis have not been seen since the 1980s, but are maintained as Critically Endangered in the small chance that tiny –but currently unknown– populations survive).
Lake Victoria
Because of the introduced Nile perchNile perch
The Nile perch is a species of freshwaterfish in family Latidae of order Perciformes. It is widespread throughout muchof the Afrotropic ecozone, being native to the Congo, Nile, Senegal, Niger, and Lake Chad, Volta, Lake Turkana and other river basins. It also occurs in the brackish waters of...
(Lates niloticus) and water hyacinth
Water hyacinth
The seven species of water hyacinth comprise the genus Eichhornia. Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in...
, deforestation that led to water siltation
Siltation
Siltation is the pollution of water by fine particulate terrestrial clastic material, with a particle size dominated by silt or clay. It refers both to the increased concentration of suspended sediments, and to the increased accumulation of fine sediments on bottoms where they are undesirable...
, and overfishing, many Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
species have been wiped out or drastically reduced. By around 1980, lake fisheries yielded only 1 percent cichlids, a drastic decline from 80 percent in earlier years.
Bottom feeder
Demersal fish live on or near the bottom of the sea or lakes. They occupy the sea floors and lake beds, which usually consist of mud, sand, gravel or rocks. In coastal waters they are found on or near the continental shelf, and in deep waters they are found on or near the continental slope or along...
s, became endangered or extinct. Some survivors have adapted by becoming smaller or hybridizing with other species. Satellite lakes such as Lake Edward
Lake Edward
Lake Edward or Edward Nyanza is the smallest of the African Great Lakes. It is located in the western Great Rift Valley, on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with its northern shore a few kilometres south of the Equator...
and Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake complex of Uganda, about in area and at an elevation of 914 m. The Victoria Nile flows through the lake on its way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. The main inflow from Lake Victoria is regulated by the Nalubaale Power Station in Jinja. Another source of water...
have not been as strongly affected, however, and harbor an array of similar species.
Food and game fish
Although cichlids are mostly small- to medium-sized, many are notable as food and game fishes. With few thick rib bones and tasty flesh, artisan fishingArtisan fishing
Artisan fishing is a term used to describe small scale low-technology commercial or subsistence fishing practices. The term particularly applies to coastal or island ethnic groups using traditional techniques such as rod and tackle, arrows and harpoons, throw nets and drag nets, and traditional...
is not uncommon in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, as well as areas surrounding the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n rift lake
Rift lake
A rift lake is a lake formed as a result of subsidence related to movement on faults within a rift zone, an area of extensional tectonics in the continental crust. They are often found within rift valleys and may be very deep...
s.
Tilapia
The most important food cichlids, however, are the tilapiines of North AfricaNorth Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. Fast growing, tolerant of stocking density, and adaptable, tilapiine species have been introduced and farmed extensively in many parts of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and are increasingly common aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
targets elsewhere.
Farmed tilapia production is about 1500000 tonnes (1,476,305.3 LT) annually with an estimated value of US$1.8 billion, about equal to that of salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
.
Unlike those carnivorous fish, tilapia can feed on algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
or any plant-based food. This reduces the cost of tilapia farming, reduces fishing pressure on prey species, avoids concentrating toxins that accumulate at higher levels of the food chain
Food chain
A food web depicts feeding connections in an ecological community. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories called trophic levels: 1) the autotrophs, and 2) the heterotrophs...
and makes tilapia the preferred "aquatic chickens" of the trade.
Game fish
Many large cichlids make good game fish. The strong, hard-fighting peacock bassPeacock Bass
Peacock bass is the common name in English for a group of closely related species of tropical, freshwater fish of the genus Cichla, native to the Amazon River basin of South America. They also inhabit the waters of Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezuela and parts of the United States,...
(Cichla
Cichla
Cichla is a genus of fifteen described species of fish from the family Cichlidae. Kullander & Ferreira described nine species in a recent paper and suggest the genus may include 5-15 other species, yet to be described. The genus includes several species valued as game fish, collectively known as...
species) of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
is one of the most popular sportfish. It was introduced in many waters around the world. In Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, this fish generates millions of hours of fishing and sportfishing revenue of more than US$8 million a year. Other cichlids preferred by anglers include the Oscar, Mayan cichlid
Mayan Cichlid
The Mayan cichlid, Cichlasoma urophthalmus, is a member of the Cichlidae family of fish. It is also known as the mojarra castarrica in its native Mexico. It has interesting colors, with its eight black bands and its large ocellus on the caudal peduncle , which gives it its scientific name...
(Cichlasoma urophthalmus), and jaguar guapote (Parachromis managuensis).
Aquarium fish
Fish food
Aquarium fish feed is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pet fish kept in aquariums or ponds. Fish foods normally contain macro nutrients, trace elements and vitamins necessary to keep captive fish in good health. Approximately 80% of fishkeeping hobbyists feed their fish...
s, breed readily, and practice brood care, making good aquarium fish.
The most common species in hobbyist aquaria is Pterophyllum
Pterophyllum
Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as "Angelfish". All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins in tropical South America...
scalare from the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
basin in tropical South America, known in the trade as the "angelfish". Other popular or readily available species include the oscar (Astronotus ocellatus), convict cichlid
Convict cichlid
The Convict cichlid is a fish species from the family Cichlidae, native to Central America, also known as the zebra cichlid...
(Archocentrus nigrofasciatus) and discus
Discus (fish)
Discus are a genus of three species of cichlid freshwater fishes native to the Amazon River basin. Discus are popular as aquarium fish and their aquaculture in several countries in Asia is a major industry.-Taxonomy:...
(Symphysodon spp.).
Cichlids can be kept in aquaria with other fish; however, many cichlids eat smaller fish. Conversely, some cichlids, such as Apistogramma
Apistogramma
Apistogramma is a genus of approximately a hundred species of fish from the family Cichlidae found in tropical areas of the Amazon basin and Venezuela. Apistogramma literally means "irregular lateral line" referring to a common trait of the species under this taxon...
or Julidochromis
Julidochromis
Julidochromis is a genus of cichlids in the subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae. They are commonly called julies and are endemic to Lake Tanganyika in eastern Africa. This genus includes at least 5 species, each with a number of subspecies and local variants of uncertain taxonomic status...
spp., can be timid. In such cases the use of dither fish
Dither fish
The term dither fish refers to an arbitrary group of aquarium fish used by cichlid keeping aquarists to reduce innate timidity in some species of cichlids . Dither fish swim around the top of a tank and this behavior lets shier fish know that there are no predators around and allows them to relax...
is recommended.
Hybrids and selective breeding
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
, for example, is often preferred in aquaculture for its rapid growth. Tilapia hybridization can produce all-male populations to control stock density or prevent reproduction in ponds.
Aquarium hybrids
The most ubiquitous aquarium hybrid is perhaps the blood parrot cichlid which is a cross of several species, especially from genus AmphilophusAmphilophus
Amphilophus is a genus of cichlid fishes from Central America. The genus currently contains 23 species. However, a 2008 study led by Oldrich Rican suggested that several species within Amphilophus should be moved to the genus Astatheros. Species proposed to be moved to Astatheros are A. alfari,...
. With a beak
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
-shaped mouth, an abnormal spine
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
, and an occasionally missing caudal fin (known as the "love heart" parrot
Parrot
Parrots, also known as psittacines , are birds of the roughly 372 species in 86 genera that make up the order Psittaciformes, found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The order is subdivided into three families: the Psittacidae , the Cacatuidae and the Strigopidae...
cichlid), the fish is controversial among aquarists. Some have called blood parrot cichlids "the Frankenstein monster of the fish world." Another notable hybrid, the flowerhorn cichlid, was very popular in some parts of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
from 2001 until late 2003, and is believed to bring good luck to its owner. The popularity of the flowerhorn cichlid declined in 2004. Owners released many specimens into the rivers and canals of Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
where they threaten endemic communities.
Selective breeding
Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular genetic traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties,...
to develop ornamental aquarium strains. The most intensive programs have involved angelfish
Pterophyllum
Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as "Angelfish". All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins in tropical South America...
and discus
Discus (fish)
Discus are a genus of three species of cichlid freshwater fishes native to the Amazon River basin. Discus are popular as aquarium fish and their aquaculture in several countries in Asia is a major industry.-Taxonomy:...
, and many mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
s that affect both coloration and finnage are known. Other cichlids have been bred for albino, leucistic, and xanthistic
Xanthochromism
Xanthochromism is a term that may be applied to birds, fish and other animals whose colouration is unusually yellow through an excess of yellow pigment, or possibly a loss of darker pigments that allows yellow pigment to be unusually dominant...
pigment
Pigment
A pigment is a material that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light as the result of wavelength-selective absorption. This physical process differs from fluorescence, phosphorescence, and other forms of luminescence, in which a material emits light.Many materials selectively absorb...
mutation
Mutation
In molecular biology and genetics, mutations are changes in a genomic sequence: the DNA sequence of a cell's genome or the DNA or RNA sequence of a virus. They can be defined as sudden and spontaneous changes in the cell. Mutations are caused by radiation, viruses, transposons and mutagenic...
s, including oscars, convicts
Convict cichlid
The Convict cichlid is a fish species from the family Cichlidae, native to Central America, also known as the zebra cichlid...
and Pelvicachromis pulcher. Both dominant and recessive pigment mutations have been observed. In convict cichlid
Convict cichlid
The Convict cichlid is a fish species from the family Cichlidae, native to Central America, also known as the zebra cichlid...
s, for example, a leucistic coloration is recessively inherited, while in Oreochromis niloticus niloticus red coloration is caused by a dominant inherited mutation.
This selective breeding may have unintended consequence
Unintended consequence
In the social sciences, unintended consequences are outcomes that are not the outcomes intended by a purposeful action. The concept has long existed but was named and popularised in the 20th century by American sociologist Robert K. Merton...
s. For example, hybrid strains of Mikrogeophagus ramirezi
Ram cichlid
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi is a species of freshwater fish endemic to the Orinoco River basin, in the savannahs of Venezuela and Colombia in South America...
have health and fertility problems. Similarly, intentional inbreeding
Inbreeding
Inbreeding is the reproduction from the mating of two genetically related parents. Inbreeding results in increased homozygosity, which can increase the chances of offspring being affected by recessive or deleterious traits. This generally leads to a decreased fitness of a population, which is...
can cause physical abnormalities, such as the notched phenotype
Phenotype
A phenotype is an organism's observable characteristics or traits: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior...
in angelfish
Pterophyllum
Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as "Angelfish". All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins in tropical South America...
.
Genera
As of 2006, there were some 220 genera recognized and covered by FishBaseFishBase
FishBase is a comprehensive database of information about fish species . It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web...
:
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Greenwoodochromis Greenwoodochromis is a small genus of cichlids with only two species.... Poll 1983 Guianacara Guianacara is a small genus of cichlid fish endemic to South America.-Species:There are currently seven described species of Guianacara.*Guianacara cuyunii... Kullander & Nijssen 1989 Gymnogeophagus Gymnogeophagus is a genus of cichlid fishes from South America, where they found are known from various river basins in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina. They are part of a group popularly known as eartheaters.-Species:... Miranda Ribeiro 1918 Haplochromis Haplochromis is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cichlidae. It has been used as the default "wastebin taxon" for Pseudocrenilabrinae cichlids of the East African Rift, and as such became the "largest" fish "genus"... Hilgendorf 1888 Haplotaxodon Haplotaxodon is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family, endemic to Lake Tanganyika.It contains the following species:* Haplotaxodon microlepis* Haplotaxodon trifasciatus... Boulenger 1906 Jewel cichlid Hemichromis is a genus of fishes from the cichlid family, known in the aquarium trade as jewel cichlids. Jewel cichlids are native to Africa... Peters 1857 Herichthys Herichthys is a small genus of cichlid fishes. Most are endemic to Mexico, but H. cyanoguttatus is also found in southern Texas , and has been introduced to central Texas and Florida... Baird & Girard 1854 Heros genus Heros is a genus which includes several fish species in the Cichlidae family. They are native to rivers in the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America... Heckel, 1840 Johann Jakob Kaup Johann Jakob Kaup was a German naturalist.-Biography:He was born at Darmstadt. After studying at Göttingen and Heidelberg he spent two years at Leiden, where his attention was specially devoted to the amphibians and fishes. He then returned to Darmstadt as an assistant in the grand ducal museum,... ,1860 Hypselecara Hypselecara is a small genus of cichlid fish with only two species. They are native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. H. temporalis is a relatively common aquarium fish known in the aquarium trade as the chocolate cichild.... Kullander 1986 Hypsophrys Hypsophrys is a small genus of cichlid fishes from Central America. The genus currently contains 2 species. It originally contained just H. nicaraguensis but was revised in 2007 to include the poor man's tropheus, or neet, H... Agassiz Louis Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz was a Swiss paleontologist, glaciologist, geologist and a prominent innovator in the study of the Earth's natural history. He grew up in Switzerland and became a professor of natural history at University of Neuchâtel... 1859 Iodotropheus Iodotropheus is a small genus of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Malawi in east Africa. It currently includes three species. The lavender mbuna, Iodotropheus sprengerae, also known as the rusty cichlid, is the most commonly encountered member of the genus in the aquarium trade.-Species:** Iodotropheus... Oliver & Loiselle 1972 Iranocichla Iranocichla hormuzensis is a species of mouthbrooding fish from the cichlid family. It is the only member of its genus, and reaches a length of about . It is restricted to freshwater and brackish habitats in southern Iran. It is the only species of cichlid native to this country, and among the few... Coad 1982 Julidochromis Julidochromis is a genus of cichlids in the subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae. They are commonly called julies and are endemic to Lake Tanganyika in eastern Africa. This genus includes at least 5 species, each with a number of subspecies and local variants of uncertain taxonomic status... Boulenger 1898 Labeotropheus Labeotropheus is a small genus of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Malawi in eastern Africa. It includes at least two species, each with a number of subspecies or races. Further taxonomic work is required to determine how many species exist. These cichlids are popular ornamental fish and are ideally... Ahl Ernst Ahl Christoph Gustav Ernst Ahl was a German zoologist.He was the director of the department of ichthyology and herpetology in the Museum für Naturkunde.... 1926 Labidochromis Labidochromis is a genus of cichlid fishes that are endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. The genus includes 18 formally described species, and several yet undescribed species. It includes a number of species commonly kept in cichlid aquariums such as L. caeruleus... Trewavas 1935 Laetacara Laetacara is a small genus of five species of fish, endemic to soft, acidic freshwater habitats in South America. Laetacara is part of the family Cichlidae and is included in subfamily Cichlasomatinae. The genus is also collectively known as the smiling acaras. The range of the genus extends from... Kullander 1986 Lamprologus Lamprologus is a genus of fishes from the cichlid family. They are native to Lake Tanganyika and the Congo River Basin in Africa. The type species for this genus is Lamprologus congoensis, a species from the Congo River. The genus is under some revision and may eventually be restricted to these... Schilthuis 1891 Lepidiolamprologus Lepidiolamprologus is a small genus of cichlids endemic to Lake Tanganyika in eastern Africa. It is closely related to Altolamprologus.... Pellegrin 1904 Lestradea Lestradea is a genus of fishes in the cichlid family. The two species are endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa.... Poll 1943 Lethrinops Lethrinops is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. Particularly in the aquarium hobby, they are known as the sandeaters or sandsifters.-References: [2009]: . Retrieved 2009-OCT-03.... Regan 1922 Limbochromis Limbochromis is a small genus of cichlids with only two species.... Greenwood 1987 Limnochromis Limnochromis is a small genus of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa. The genus has only three described species.-Species:* Limnochromis abeelei Poll, 1949 * Spangled cichlid, Limnochromis auritus Boulenger, 1901... Regan 1920 Limnotilapia Limnotilapia is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family.It contains the following species:* Limnotilapia dardennii... Regan 1920 Lithochromis Lithochromis is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family.It contains the following species:* Lithochromis rubripinnis* Lithochromis rufus* Lithochromis xanthopteryx... Lippitsch & Seehausen 1998 Lobochilotes Lobochilotes is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family.It contains the following species:* Lobochilotes labiatus... Boulenger 1915 Maylandia Maylandia or Metriaclima is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. They belong to the mbuna haplochromines.... Meyer & Foerster 1984
Mazarunia Mazarunia is a genus of cichlid fish from the Mazaruni River in Guyana. The single species, Mazarunia mazarunii, is a dwarf cichlid that reaches about in length.... Kullander 1990 Mbipia Mbipia is a ray-finned fish genus in the family CichlidaeIt contains the following species:* Mbipia lutea* Mbipia mbipi... Lippitsch & Seehausen 1998 Mchenga Mchenga is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to East Africa.At present, only six species are placed here:* Mchenga conophoros * Mchenga cyclicos... Stauffer & Konings, 2006 Melanochromis Melanochromis is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in Eastern Africa. It was established by Ethylwynn Trewavas in 1935. Ecologically, they belong to the rock-dwelling mbuna cichlids of Lake Malawi.... Trewavas, 1935 Mesonauta Mesonauta is a small genus of six species of fish, endemic to soft, acidic freshwater habitats in South America. Mesonauta is part of the family Cichlidae and is included in subfamily Cichlasomatinae... Günther Albert C. L. G. Günther Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS, also Albert Charles Lewis Gotthilf Günther , was a German-born British zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist.... , 1862 Mikrogeophagus Microgeophagus is a genus of small cichlids that only includes two species: M. ramirezi and M. altispinosa. Both species are popular with aquarists, especially M. ramirezi... Meulengracht-Madson 1968 Myaka The Myaka is a critically endangered species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It belongs to the monotypic genus Myaka, and is fairly enigmatic, leading some to place it in the Haplochromini instead of Tilapiini. It is endemic to Lake Barombi Mbo in western Cameroon... Trewavas 1972 Mylochromis Mylochromis is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in Eastern Africa.It contains the following species:* Mylochromis anaphyrmus* Mylochromis balteatus* Mylochromis chekopae Turner & Howarth, 2001... Regan 1920 Nandopsis Nandopsis is a small genus of cichlid fishes found in lakes, streams and rivers in Cuba and Hispaniola. If disregarding Trinidad and Tobago , Nandopsis are the only cichlids native to the Antilles.-Species:The genus currently contains three species, although some... Gill, 1862 Nannacara Nannacara is a genus of small freshwater cichlid fish endemic to South America. The genus is part of the Cichlasomatini tribe of the Cichlasomatinae subfamily. In the aquarium hobby, the fish is considered a dwarf cichlid along with Apistogramma, Mikrogeophagus, and Dicrossus species... Regan 1905 Nanochromis Nanochromis is a genus of cichlids containing eight described species. These small fishes are endemic to the Congo River Basin in Central Africa.-Species:*Nanochromis consortus*Nanochromis minor*Nanochromis nudiceps... Pellegrin 1904 Neochromis Neochromis is a ray-finned fish genus in the family CichlidaeIt contains the following species:* Neochromis gigas* Neochromis greenwoodi* Neochromis nigricans* Neochromis omnicaeruleus* Neochromis rufocaudalis... Regan 1920 Neolamprologus Neolamprologus is a genus of cichlid fishes endemic to eastern Africa with all but one species occurring in Lake Tanganyika. It is the largest genus of cichlids in Lake Tanganyika and also the largest genus in the tribe Lamprologini, which includes Altolamprologus, Chalinochromis, Julidochromis, ... Colombe & Allgayer 1985 Nimbochromis Nimbochromis is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. They are known as sleeper cichlids or kaligono , due to their unique hunting behaviour.... Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Nyassachromis Nyassachromis is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to East Africa. They are open-water mouthbrooders, an ecological niche known as utaka to locals.At present, 8 species are placed here:* Nyassachromis boadzulu... Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Ophthalmotilapia Ophthalmotilapia is a small genus of four cichlid species endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.-Species:*Ophthalmotilapia boops Boulenger, 1901 *Ophthalmotilapia heterodonta Poll & Matthes, 1962... Pellegrin 1904 Oreochromis Oreochromis is a large genus of tilapiine cichlids, fishes endemic to Africa and the Middle East. Several species from this genus have been introduced far outside their native range, and are important in aquaculture... Günther 1889 Orthochromis Orthochromis is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to East Africa.At present, 14 species are placed here:* Orthochromis kalungwishiensis * Orthochromis kasuluensis* Orthochromis luichensis... Greenwood 1954 Otopharynx Otopharynx is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in Eastern Africa.It currently contains 14 accepted species, see Otopharynx-References: [2009]: . Retrieved 2009-OCT-03.... Regan 1920 Parachromis Parachromis is a genus of freshwater fishes from the family Cichlidae. The genus contains 5 species and is limited in its distribution to Central America. Some species occur in Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua. All species are predatory and relatively large for cichlids.Parachromis friedrichsthalii... Agassiz 1859 Paracyprichromis Paracyprichromis is a small genus of cichlids with only two species. The genus is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.... Poll 1986 Paralabidochromis Paralabidochromis is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family.It contains the following species:* Paralabidochromis beadlei* Paralabidochromis chromogynos* Paralabidochromis crassilabris* Paralabidochromis victoriae... Greenwood 1956 Paraneetroplus Paraneetroplus is a small genus of cichlids with only three species. They are endemic to rivers on the Atlantic slope in Mexico.... Regan 1905 |
Paratilapia Paratilapia is a genus of cichlids with only two known species. They occur on Madagascar.Phylogenetic analsysis of DNA sequence and morphological data have hitherto been unable to resolve the relationships of the genus to satisfaction... Bleeker Pieter Bleeker Pieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877.... , 1868 Paretroplus Paretroplus is a genus of fishes in the cichlid family, all of which are endemic to lakes and rivers of Madagascar. The vast majority are threatened and restricted to the northwestern part of the island. Only P. polyactis is found in the southern half of Madagascar and only P. polyactis and P.... Bleeker, 1868 Pelmatochromis Pelmatochromis is a small genus of fishes in the cichlid family. Of its three species, two are endemic to the Middle Africa, and one is endemic to tropical West Africa. Depending on the exact species, they reach about in length.-Species:... Steindachner 1894 Pelvicachromis The genus Pelvicachromis includes a range of small , brightly coloured cichlids which occur in tropical West Africa and Central Africa. They typically inhabit soft, acidic water .... Thys van den Audenaerde 1968 Perissodus Perissodus is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family.It contains at least seven species:* Perissodus eccentricus* Perissodus elaviae* Perissodus hecqui* Perissodus microlepis* Perissodus multidentatus* Perissodus paradoxus... Boulenger 1898 Petenia Petenia is a monotypic cichlid genus. The single species, Petenia splendida, is a large predatory fish that occurs in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize.FishBase name: Bay snookMax. size: 50.0 cm TL Petenia is a monotypic cichlid genus. The single species, Petenia splendida, is a large (50 cm)... Günther, 1862 Petrochromis Petrochromis is a small genus of seven formally described cichlid species, and at least 7 undescribed species, all endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.-Species:* Petrochromis famula Matthes & Trewavas, 1960... Boulenger 1898 Petrotilapia Petrotilapia is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family.It contains the following species:* Petrotilapia chrysos* Petrotilapia genalutea* Petrotilapia nigra* Petrotilapia tridentiger... Trewavas 1935 Pharyngochromis Pharyngochromis is a small genus of cichlid fishes endemic to East Africa.The genus currently contains two species:* Pharyngochromis acuticeps – Zambezi Bream... Greenwood 1979 Placidochromis Placidochromis is a genus of cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in Eastern Africa. They are part of the haplochromine lineage of Lake Malawi's cichlid taxa. Most Placidochromis species live in the open or sandy regions of the lake.-Species:... Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Plecodus Plecodus is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family. All species are endemic to Lake Tanganyika. It contains the following species:* Plecodus elaviae* Plecodus multidentatus* Plecodus paradoxus* Plecodus straeleni... Boulenger 1898 Protomelas Protomelas is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. The genus is part of the haplochromine tribe and have maternal mouthbrooding and sexual dimorphism typical of this group... Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Pseudocrenilabrus Pseudocrenilabrus is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids that are endemic to rivers and lakes in Central and Eastern Africa. These are small cichlids that, as suggested by the common names of the individual species, are mouthbrooders.-Species:... Fowler 1934 Pseudosimochromis Pseudosimochromis is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family.It contains the following species:* Pseudosimochromis curvifrons... Nelissen 1977 Pseudotropheus Pseudotropheus is a genus of rock dwelling cichlids found in Lake Malawi. Like some other large cichlid genera, such as Cichlasoma, a number of related fishes have been recently re-assigned to different genera such as Tropheops or Maylandia... Regan 1922 Pterophyllum Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as "Angelfish". All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon River, Orinoco River and Essequibo River basins in tropical South America... Heckel 1840 Ptychochromis Ptychochromis is a genus of fishes from the cichlid family. They are found in rivers and lakes in Madagascar, and a single species can also be seen in brackish water. Most species in this genus are threatened, and P. onilahy is probably extinct. Most reach a length of , but P. grandidieri reaches... Steindachner 1880 Ptychochromoides Ptychochromoides is a genus of fish in the cichlid family from Madagascar. Of the tree described species, two are critically endangered and one was considered extinct until rediscovered in late 2010.-Species:... Kiener & Mauge 1966 Pundamilia Pundamilia is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to East Africa, primarily in Lake Victoria. FishBase includes them in Haplochromis while the IUCN treats them as distinct.At present, only four species are placed here:... Seehausen & Lippitsch 1998 Pungu The pungu is a critically endangered species of fish in the Cichlidae family, and the only member of its genus. It is endemic to Lake Barombi Mbo in Cameroon. It is threatened because of pollution and sedimentation from human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of carbon dioxide ... Trewavas 1972 Pyxichromis Pyxichromis is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cichlidae.It contains the following species:* Pyxichromis orthostoma* Pyxichromis parorthostoma... Greenwood 1980 Rhamphochromis Rhamphochromis is a genus of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. The genus contains numerous species all of which are latterally compressed pursuit predators.... Regan 1922 Rocio Rocio is a small genus of cichlid fishes from Mexico and northern Central America. The genus currently contains 3 species. It was established in 2007 as the genus for the Jack Dempsey and its close relatives.-Species:... Schmitter-Soto, 2007 Sargochromis Sargochromis is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to East Africa.At present, 8 species are placed here:* Sargochromis carlottae – Rainbow Happy* Sargochromis codringtonii – Green Happy... Regan 1920 Sarotherodon Sarotherodon is a genus of tilapiine cichlids, fishes endemic to Africa and the Middle East. A few species from this genus have been introduced far outside their native range, and are important in aquaculture. They mainly inhabit fresh and brackish water, but a few can live in salt water... Rppell 1852 Satanoperca Satanoperca is a small genus of cichlid fishes from South America, where they are known from the Orinoco, Essequibo, Nickerie, Amazon, Paraná and Paraguay river basins... Günther, 1862 Sciaenochromis Sciaenochromis is a genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. It includes at least 4 species. The species are popular in the aquarium hobby, most notably S. fryeri.... Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Serranochromis Serranochromis is a ray-finned fish genus in the family Cichlidae.It contains the following species:* Serranochromis janus* lowveld largemouth... Regan 1920 Simochromis Simochromis is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family.It contains the following species:* Simochromis babaulti* Simochromis diagramma* Simochromis margaretae* Simochromis marginatus* Simochromis pleurospilus... Boulenger 1898 Spathodus Spathodus is a small genus of two cichlid species endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.-Species:*Spathodus erythrodon -Blue-Spotted Goby Cichlid [Boulenger, 1900] *Spathodus marlieri [Poll, 1950]-References:... Boulenger 1900 Steatocranus Steatocranus is a small genus of rheophilic cichlid fish. Most are endemic to the Congo River Basin in DR Congo/Congo Brazzaville, although one species, S. irvinei, is restricted to the Volta River in Ghana.... Boulenger 1899 Stigmatochromis Stigmatochromis is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids that are endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa.At present, only four species are placed here:* Stigmatochromis modestus* Stigmatochromis pholidophorus – Candle Hap... Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Stomatepia Stomatepia is a genus of fishes in the cichlid family. Its three species are all endemic to Lake Barombi Mbo in western Cameroon. They are critically endangered because of pollution and sedimentation due to human activities, and potentially also by large emissions of carbon dioxide from the lake's... Trewavas 1962 Taeniacara Taeniacara is a genus of cichlid fish from the Amazon Basin in South America. The single species, Taeniacara candidi, is a dwarf cichlid that reaches about in length.... Myers 1935 Taeniolethrinops Taeniolethrinops is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to East Africa.At present, only four validly described species are placed here:* Taeniolethrinops cyrtonotus* Taeniolethrinops furcicauda* Taeniolethrinops laticeps... Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Tahuantinsuyoa Tahuantinsuyoa is a small genus of cichlids with only two species. They are endemic to the Amazon Basin in Peru.... Kullander 1991 Tangachromis Tangachromis is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family.It contains the following species:* Tangachromis dhanisi... Poll 1981 Tanganicodus Tanganicodus is a monotypic cichlid genus whose single representative, Tanganicodus irsacae, or the Spotfin Goby Cichlid, is endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.-References:... Poll 1950 Teleocichla Teleocichla is a small genus of seven cichlid formally described species and several undescribed species, endemic to the Amazon River Basin in South America. All species are rheophilic, and highly elongated in shape... Kullander 1988 Teleogramma Teleogramma is an African genus of cichlids with only four species. These dark and slender fishes barely reaches in length, and are restricted to rapids in the Congo River in DR Congo/Congo Brazzaville.... Boulenger 1899 Telmatochromis Telmatochromis is a small cichlid genus of the subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae. These ray-finned fishes are endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa.-Systematics:7 species are included here... Boulenger 1898 Theraps Theraps is a small fish genus from the cichlidae family. They are endemic to Central America, ranging from Mexico to Panama. Several Theraps sp. have been found across the southern United States as invasive species.... Günther, 1862 Thoracochromis Thoracochromis is a fish genus of haplochromine cichlids that are endemic to Africa. Most species are from rivers in Angola and Namibia, or the Congo River Basin in Central Africa, but one is from the Nile... Greenwood 1979 Thorichthys Thorichthys is a genus of cichlids from Central America. They have somewhat pointy heads and stripes down their body, and tend to inhabit slow-moving or standing water. The best-known species is Thorichthys meeki, the firemouth cichlid. Members of Thorichthys rarely exceed , making them popular... Meek Albert Stewart Meek Albert Stewart Meek was an English bird collector and naturalist. The name Alfred S. Meek which can be read in several publications is referred to Albert Stewart Meek.-Biography:... 1904 Tilapia (genus) Tilapia is a large genus of cichlid fishes endemic to Africa, except for a single species that also occurs in the Middle East. The vast majority of the species are from tropical Western and Middle Africa, but there are also a few species in Northern, Eastern and Southern Africa... Smith, 1840 See also: Tilapiine cichlids Tilapia Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the... Tomocichla Tomocichla is a genus of freshwater fishes in the cichlid family that is restricted to Central America. The genus Tomocichla contains two species, both of which live is fastmoving waters. The species within Tomocichla were formerly placed within the genus Theraps.* Tomocichla sieboldii Siebold's... Regan 1908 Tramitichromis Tramitichromis is a small genus of haplochromine cichlid fish endemic to East Africa.At present, only five species are placed here:* Tramitichromis brevis* Tramitichromis intermedius* Tramitichromis lituris* Tramitichromis trilineata... Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Trematocara Trematocara is a genus of fish in the Cichlidae family endemic to Lake Tanganyika.It contains the following species:* Trematocara caparti* Trematocara kufferathi* Trematocara macrostoma* Trematocara marginatum... Boulenger 1899 Trematocranus Trematocranus is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to East Africa.At present, only three validly described species are placed here:* Trematocranus labifer* Trematocranus microstoma – Pointedhead Haplo... Trewavas 1935 Tristramella Tristramella is a genus of fishes in the Cichlidae family. The four species in this genus are restricted to Israel and Syria, where they are among the relatively few native cichlids .Tristramella intermedia and T... Trewavas 1942 Tropheus Tropheus is a small genus of six species of cichlid fish endemic to Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. The genus Tropheus is widespread across all regions of lake Tanganyika, from Burundi in the North to Zambia in the South.Males and females are relatively similar but do display obvious sexual... Boulenger 1898 Tylochromis Tylochromis is a genus of African fishes in the Cichlidae family comprising 18 species. They are the only members of the tribe Tylochromini... Regan 1920 Tyrannochromis Tyrannochromis is a small genus of haplochromine cichlids endemic to East Africa.At present, only four validly described species are placed here:* Tyrannochromis macrostoma* Tyrannochromis maculiceps * Tyrannochromis nigriventer... Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Uaru Uaru is a small genus of cichlid fishes with only two species. The name Uaru comes from the Amazon word for toad. The genus occurs in blackwater and whitewater habitats in the upper Orinoco and Rio Negro rivers of the Amazon basin. U. amphiacanthoides is frequently available as a food fish in... Heckel 1840 Variabilichromis Variabilichromis is a monotypic genus of fish in the family Cichlidae which occurs in Lake Tanganyika, of the rift lakes in Eastern Africa. The single species, Variabilichromis moorii is a small ovate bodied fish named for an early collector of fish from the lake, J. Moore. Juveniles are lighter in... Colombe & Allgayer 1985 Vieja Vieja is a genus of fish from the family Cichlidae. The geographic distribution of the genus is limited to Central America, primarily Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua. In general Vieja are high bodied cichlids which grow to between 15-35 cm . There are 16 species of Vieja currently described... Fernandez-Yepez 1969 Xenotilapia Xenotilapia is a genus of 13 cichlid species endemic to Lake Tanganyika in east Africa.-Species:* Xenotilapia bathyphilus Poll, 1956 * Xenotilapia boulengeri Poll, 1942 * Xenotilapia burtoni Poll, 1951... Boulenger 1899 |
Further reading
- Barlow, G. W. (2000). The Cichlid fishes. Cambridge MA: Perseus Publishing.: National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., 2004-05-11).
External links
- The Cichlid Fishes of Lake Malawi by Dr. Michael Oliver.
- Vision in Cichlids: Ecomorphology of vision in haplochromine cichlids of Lake Victoria by Dr. H.J. van der Meer.