Any of a large family of freshwater fishes found in South and Central America, Africa, and India; many species in African Great Lakes; body usually perch-like; feeding and breeding habits extremely diverse; important as a food fish and in the aquarium trade. (20 genera, including Haplochromis, Tilapia. Family: Cichlidae.)
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Cichlids (pronounced “sick-lids”) are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. As a group the cichlids exhibit a similarly wide diversity of body shapes, ranging from strongly laterally compressed species (such as Altolamprologus, Pterophyllum, and Symphysodon) through to species that are cylindrical and highly elongate (such as Teleogramma, Teleocichla, Crenicichla, and Gobiocichla). Cichlids are particularly well known for having evolved rapidly into a large number of closely related but morphologically diverse species within in large lakes, particularly the African Rift Valley lakes of Tanganyika, , and Victoria, and Malawi.
Characteristics of cichlids
Cichlids are members of a group of perciform fish known as the Labroidei alongside the wrasses Labridae, damselfish Pomacentridae, and surfperches Embiotocidae.
Range
Cichlids are mainly freshwater fish that are most diverse in Africa and South America. Europe, Australia, Antarctica, and most of North America do not have any native cichlids, although where environmental conditions are suitable, for example in Florida and northern Australia, feral populations of cichlids have become established as exotics.
Cichlids are less commonly found in brackish and salt water habitats, though many species will tolerate brackish water for extended periods;
Diet
Cichlids are astonishingly diverse in terms of diet.
Endangered cichlids
Because of the introduced nile perch and water hyacinth, deforestation causing siltation of water, and overfishing, many species of Lake Victoria cichlids have been wiped out or drastically reduced in the wild.
Hybrid cichlids
Some cichlids have been found to hybridise with closely related species quite readily, both in the wild and under artificial conditions.
Cichlids as aquarium fish
Cichlid keeping aquarists tend to divide cichlids into groups based on regions such as Central America, South America, Madagascar and India, Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi and Lake Victoria. Other cichlids commonly stocked by retail aquaria include:
Astronotus ocellatus (oscars) Cleithracara maronii (keyhole cichlids) Hemichromis sp. (Jewel cichlids) Labidochromis caeruleus (electric yellows) Mikrogeophagus ramirezi (blue rams) Pelvicachromis pulcher (kribensis) Sciaenochromis fryeri (electric blues) Symphysodon discus (discus)Species of cichlid can be kept in aquariums with other fish, however, many cichlids are aggressively territorial or predatory towards smaller fish.
| Acarichthys Eigenmann 1912 Acaronia Myers 1940 Aequidens Eigenmann & McKaye 1988 Altolamprologus Poll 1986 Amphilophus Agassiz, 1859 Anomalochromis Greenwood 1985 Apistogramma Regan 1913 Apistogrammoides Meinken 1965 Archocentrus Gill 1877 Aristochromis Trewavas, 1935 Astatoreochromis Pellegrin 1904 Astatotilapia Pellegrin 1904 Astronotus Swainson 1839 Aulonocara Regan 1922 Aulonocranus Regan 1920 Australoheros Rican & Kullander 2006 Baileychromis Poll 1986 Bathybates Boulenger 1898 Benitochromis Lamboj 2001 Benthochromis Poll 1986 Biotodoma Eigenmann & Kennedy 1903 Boulengerochromis Pellegrin 1904 Buccochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Bujurquina Kullander 1986 Callochromis Regan 1920 Caprichromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Caquetaia Fowler 1945 Cardiopharynx Poll 1942 Chaetobranchopsis Steindachner, 1875 Chaetobranchus Heckel, 1840 Chalinochromis Poll 1974 Champsochromis Boulenger 1915 Cheilochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Chetia Trewavas 1961 Chilochromis Boulenger 1902 Chilotilapia Boulenger 1908 Chromidotilapia Boulenger 1898 Cichla Bloch & Nijssen 1989 Copadichromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Corematodus Boulenger 1897 Crenicara Steindachner 1875 Crenicichla Heckel 1840 Ctenochromis Pfeffer 1893 Ctenopharynx Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Cunningtonia Boulenger 1906 Cyathochromis Trewavas 1935 Cyathopharynx Regan 1920 Cyclopharynx Poll 1948 Cynotilapia Regan 1922 Cyphotilapia Regan 1920 Cyprichromis Scheuermann 1977 Cyrtocara Boulenger 1902 Danakilia Thys van den Audenaerde 1969 Dicrossus Steindachner 1875 Dimidiochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Diplotaxodon Trewavas 1935 Divandu Lamboj & Snoeks 2000 Docimodus Boulenger 1897 Eclectochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Ectodus Boulenger 1898 Eretmodus Boulenger 1898 Etia Schliewen & Stiassny 2003 Etroplus Cuvier 1830 Exochochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Fossorochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Genyochromis Trewavas 1935 Geophagus Heckel 1840 Gephyrochromis Boulenger 1901 Gnathochromis Poll 1981 Gobiocichla Kanazawa 1951 Grammatotria Boulenger 1899 Greenwoodochromis Poll 1983 Guianacara Kullander & Nijssen 1989 Gymnogeophagus Miranda Ribeiro 1918 Haplochromis Hilgendorf 1888 Haplotaxodon Boulenger 1906 Harpagochromis Greenwood 1980 Hemibates Regan 1920 Hemichromis Peters 1857 Hemitaeniochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Hemitilapia Boulenger 1902 Herichthys Baird & Girard 1854 Herotilapia Pellegrin 1904 Heterochromis Regan 1922 Hoplarchus Kaup,1860 Hoplotilapia Hilgendorf 1888 Hypselecara Kullander 1986 Hypsophrys Agassiz 1859 Interochromis Yamaoka, Hori & Loiselle 1972 Iranocichla Coad 1982 Julidochromis Boulenger 1898 Katria Stiassny & Sparks 2006 Konia Trewavas 1972 Krobia Kullander & Nijssen 1989 Labeotropheus Ahl 1926 Labidochromis Trewavas 1935 Labrochromis Greenwood 1980 Laetacara Kullander 1986 Lamprologus Schilthuis 1891 Lepidiolamprologus Pellegrin 1904 Lestradea Poll 1943 Lethrinops Regan 1922 Lichnochromis Trewavas 1935 Limbochromis Greenwood 1987 Limnochromis Regan 1920 Limnotilapia Regan 1920 Lipochromis Greenwood 1980 Lithochromis Lippitsch & Seehausen 1998 Lobochilotes Boulenger 1915 | Macropleurodus Regan 1922 Maylandia (Metriaclima) Meyer & Konings, 2006 Melanochromis Trewavas, 1935 Mesonauta Günther, 1862 Microchromis Johnson 1975 Mikrogeophagus Meulengracht-Madson 1968 Myaka Trewavas 1972 Mylacochromis Greenwood 1980 Mylochromis Regan 1920 Naevochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Nandopsis Gill, 1862 Nannacara Regan 1905 Nanochromis Pellegrin 1904 Neetroplus Günther, 1867 Neochromis Regan 1920 Neolamprologus Colombe & Allgayer 1985 Nimbochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Nyassachromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Ophthalmotilapia Pellegrin 1904 Oreochromis Günther 1889 Orthochromis Greenwood 1954 Otopharynx Regan 1920 Oxylapia Kiener & Maugé 1966 Pallidochromis Turner 1994 Parachromis Agassiz 1859 Paracyprichromis Poll 1986 Paralabidochromis Greenwood 1956 Parananochromis Greenwood 1987 Paraneetroplus Regan 1905 Paratilapia Bleeker, 1868 Paretroplus Bleeker, 1868 Pelmatochromis Steindachner 1894 Pelvicachromis Thys van den Audenaerde 1968 Perissodus Boulenger 1898 Petenia Günther, 1862 Petrochromis Boulenger 1898 Petrotilapia Trewavas 1935 Pharyngochromis Greenwood 1979 Placidochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Platytaeniodus Boulenger 1906 Plecodus Boulenger 1898 Prognathochromis Greenwood 1980 Protomelas Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Psammochromis Greenwood 1980 Pseudocrenilabrus Fowler 1934 Pseudosimochromis Nelissen 1977 Pseudotropheus Regan 1922 Pterochromis Trewavas 1973 Pterophyllum Heckel 1840 Ptychochromis Steindachner 1880 Ptyochromis Greenwood 1980 Pundamilia Seehausen & Lippitsch 1998 Pungu Trewavas 1972 Pyxichromis Greenwood 1980 Reganochromis Whitley 1929 Retroculus Eigenmann & Bray 1894 Rhamphochromis Regan 1922 Sargochromis Regan 1920 Sarotherodon Rppell 1852 Satanoperca Günther, 1862 Schubotzia Boulenger 1914 Schwetzochromis Poll 1948 Sciaenochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Serranochromis Regan 1920 Simochromis Boulenger 1898 Spathodus Boulenger 1900 Steatocranus Boulenger 1899 Stigmatochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Stomatepia Trewavas 1962 Symphysodon Heckel 1840 Taeniacara Myers 1935 Taeniochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Taeniolethrinops Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Tahuantinsuyoa Kullander 1991 Tangachromis Poll 1981 Tanganicodus Poll 1950 Teleocichla Kullander 1988 Teleogramma Boulenger 1899 Telmatochromis Boulenger 1898 Theraps Günther, 1862 Thoracochromis Greenwood 1979 Thorichthys Meek 1904 Thysochromis Daget 1988 Tilapia Smith, 1840 See also: Tilapiine cichlids Tomocichla Regan 1908 Tramitichromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Trematocara Boulenger 1899 Trematocranus Trewavas 1935 Triglachromis Poll & Thys van den Audenaerde 1974 Tristramella Trewavas 1942 Tridontochromis Greenwood 1980 Tropheops Trewavas 1984 Tropheus Boulenger 1898 Tylochromis Regan 1920 Tyrannochromis Eccles & Trewavas 1989 Uaru Heckel 1840 Variabilichromis Colombe & Allgayer 1985 Vieja Fernandez-Yepez 1969 Xenochromis Boulenger 1899 Xenotilapia Boulenger 1899 Xystichromis Greenwood 1980 |
Images of cichlids
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