Cichlids

Cichlids (Cichlidae) are a large family of freshwater fish that are native to Africa, Central and South America, and Madagascar. Most of these fish are brightly colored with varying social behavior. However, they’re popular in aquariums because of their ability to learn and adapt to new environments easily.

The different species of cichlids vary in color, size, and shape. You’ll find that some of them are small and peaceful while others are big with an aggressive temperament.

In terms of their native habitat, cichlids have been found to reside in streams, rivers, and lakes.

While they’re easy to care for, keeping cichlids with compatible tank mates is important. Larger cichlids require large tanks, so you also want to consider that.

Types

Here are the various types of cichlids kept in freshwater aquariums:

Cichlasoma

Blue dolphin cichlid
Angelfish Neolamprologus
Convict cichlid Jack Dempsey
Discus Jaguar cichlid
Haplochromis Big-mouth hap
Oscar Livingston’s cichlid
Ram cichlid Lamprologus ocellatus
Freshwater angelfish Paratilapia
Aulonocara Lyretail cichlid
Rainbow kribs Green chromide
Humphead cichlid Labidochromis
Rainbow cichlid Melanochromis
Apistogramma Haplochromine
Pseudotropheus Sciaenochromis
Oreochromis aureus Thorichthys
Jewel cichlid Nimbochromis
Astronotus Aulonocara nyassae
Boulengerochromis Mozambique tilapia
Oreochromis Redbelly tilapia
Pelvicachromis Nile tilapia
Tropheus Geophagus
Golden Mbuna Guianacara
Herotilapia Paraneetroplus
Amphilophus Mikrogeophagus
Vieja

Fun facts

Here are some fun facts about cichlids:

  • There are over 2,000 species of cichlids.
  • Cichlids vary greatly in size and color.
  • Neolamprologus multifasciatus is said to be the smallest cichlid while the emperor cichlid ((Boulengerochromis microlepis) is considered the largest.
  • Studies have shown that as many as 500 species of cichlids formed in less than 10,000 years in Lake Victoria alone.

Read more about cichlids in our articles below: