Meet the Cichlid

In the wild, cichlids occupy a wide range of habitats..Different species of cichlid are found in South America, Central America, western and eastern Africa, Madagascar, and parts of Asia. They live in streams, rivers, floodplains, small ponds, and immense lakes; they can live in still, quiet waters or at the bases of waterfalls. Their environment varies from region to region and consists of substrates of sand, clay, mud, pebbles, stones, and huge boulders. The water chemistry is also different in each habitat.

The first cichlid introduced into the aquarium hobby was the chanchito, or Brazilian zebra fish. The chanchito was imported to the United States in 1895 and was the second tropical fish ever kept in home aquaria. Hardy and adaptable, the chanchito was able to survive the early stages of the hobby, enduring less than optimal living conditions as keepers gradually learned the right way to care for their fish. In the 20th century, several new cichlid species from South and Central America and West Africa became available. By 1950, cichlids’ popularity among aquarists had exploded, and it has remained high ever since.

Because of the large number of cichlid species, domestic cichlids are incredibly varied and come in countless sizes, colors, and shapes. Even their personalities can differ a great deal among species, as well as among individual fish.

Cichlids are available in a rainbow of colors, depending on the particular species. From Neolamprologus multifasciatus with its hushed, natural tones of browns and creams to the blues, lavenders, and violets of the Pelvicachromis species, you can find a cichlid in almost any color imaginable.

In some species, the male and female are very different in coloration. Male Pelvicachromis, for example, have a dorsal fin combining red, irridescent green, black, and some aqua, while the abdomens of the females are red, blending into the lavender and blue on the rest of the body.

Cichlids are grouped by size into three types: dwarf, medium, and large.

Cichlids can be elongated and streamlined, such as Cyanthopharynx; thick and muscular, such as Astronotus (oscars); oblong, with rounded faces, as are Tropheus; and almost round, or disc-shaped, as in Symphysodon (discus).

Both the dorsal and anal fins of cichlids are single and continuous. They begin with individual spiny rays that turn to soft-branched rays at the end of the fish.

Each species of cichlid has a distinctive character, and each fish within an individual species has its own personality. However, cichlids in general are very intelligent—perhaps the most intelligent of all freshwater fish. They will quickly learn to recognize you and greet you excitedly when you enter their field of vision.

Single cichlids housed with no other fish are likely to form a bond with their keepers. Some of the larger South American cichlids have been known to allow their keepers to stroke their sides, and many cichlids come up to nibble and play with a hand placed gently on the substrate of their tank—unless there are fry in the tank, in which case cichlids may attack that same hand in defense of their young.