PERCIFORMES: CICHLIDAE

The Cichlidae family is a pretty big one, as families go! We also compromise some of the largest fish kept in home aquariums. Take me, the discus (Symphosodon), I get to be 8" in disk diameter! Cichlids are some of the most sought after fish for aquaria, so read on and I'll tell you why.

Cichlids come from all over the world. There are cichlids in much of the Americas, and then there are the famous rift lake cichlids from Africa. These rift lake cichlids (such as the one in the picture to the right) evolved in internal lakes in Africa. Often called by the name of their lake (Victoria, Malawi, Tanganyika) or just by the local name for them: mbuna!

Neolamprologus brichardi

Cichlids come in large AND small packages. Some may measure only a few inches, such as the shell dwelling rift lake cichlids that grow only to 1 or 2 inches, all the way up to the giants of our family: Oscars (14-16"), Wolf Cichlids, and.

Ram Cichlid (Microgeophagus ramirezi)

Cichlids are of the order Perciformes, an important order for mankind. Even if you have never kept cichlids in your tank, you may have eaten some on your table! The newly popular food fish, Tilapia, is a cichlid from Lake Victoria in Africa. It is now being raised in aquaculture worldwide.

Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)

Since cichlids are so diverse, tips for keeping them varies. Keep in mind that many of us do get quite big, so even though we may look small and cute in your dealers tanks, we'll soon be tank busters!

Jewel Cichlid (Hemichromis bimaculatus)

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FISH FACT: When Europeans introduced the Nile Perch into Lake Victoria in the early 50's, this massive predator collapsed the native fish ecosystem, destroying hundreds of species. It was only recently discovered that many of those original species still exist in the marshy areas of the lake.