Where Cichlids Come From

You may wonder why successful cichlid owners know these seemingly trivial facts. As you watch your Oscar or Angelfish lazily swim or vigorously protect its territory, you contend you don't care where this beautiful fish comes from.

But if you know where these fish originated from then you'll be able to better understand why they have the requirements of food, water and general care that they do - and you'll be a much more successful owner for it!

While you can find them in aquariums across the world, there are only a limited number of geographical locations a cichlid would call a home. A few species are found as far north as the state of Texas in the U.S. From there if you travel south, you'll see them down through to Argentina.

Cichlids can also be spotted throughout all of Africa as well as certain areas in the Middle East. Cichlids, for example, are found off the island of Madagascar as well in the waters surrounding Sri Lanka and along the southern coast of India.

In fact, there are few areas where native cichlids aren't found.

They aren't found naturally in the Far East. They aren't found naturally in Australia. And you can't find any living as natives in North America north of the state of Texas.

That's not to say, that you won't find them living in parts of the world that is not their natural home. These fish have been transplanted to just about all areas of the globe. Even though they aren't a native species, you can find them living in many of the waters of southern Florida.

As you can probably imagine with so many species, the cichlid family is a lesson in diversity. They come in just about every imaginable color and size. What's more, the various species cover a range of behaviors and are found in an array of environments.

That, in turn, makes them a challenge to characterize and sometimes, just a challenge to recognize! A true cichlid lover, though, seems to be able to identify that "cichlid look". And yes, if you continue on with this hobby, so will you.

What you probably haven't realized is that you've no doubt seen cichlids before but just didn't know they were a part of the cichlid family. Have you ever admired an angelfish? Yep, it's a cichlid.

How about the tropical fish, Oscar? No, it's not his first name, it's his species. Yes, he's a cichlid, too. Surprised?

By now, you may be wondering if there are any freshwater tropical fish that don't belong to the cichlid family. There are! Quite a few of them, in fact! You may be fooled because countless marine fish resemble the cichlids.

What makes a cichlid a cichlid? Quite a few characteristics, starting with being freshwater fish as previously mentioned. Sure, there is an occasional exception, but for the most part, you can safely say that being a freshwater fish is a unifying trait of all family members.

To learn more about cichlid fish, go to the Lifestyles100 web site or pick up the Kindle book, Cichlid Care Secrets: For Keeping Healthy Happy Fish" at Amazon.com or the Nook book at Barns and Noble.

Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert

Basic Information on Cichlids

ByKevin Jacobs

General Information on Cichlids

Chichlids are fishes belonging to the Cichlidae family and to the order Perciformers. To date, approximately 1300 species have been described. However, because of both peculiar anatomical and behavioral traits, new species are identified every year, which has suggested that over 3000 distinct cichlid species exist.

Body description

The cichilds exhibit a wide range of body size and color, with cichlid species as small as 1 inch in length to species over 3ft long!

The most diverse body shapes can also be found in cichlids. Highly compressed to cylindrical, disc-shaped and triangular shapes are some of the most common. Generally speaking however, cichlids come in a medium sized, oval shaped, slightly compressed body.

Anatomy and appearance of cichlids

Typically, all cichlid species have their pharyngeal bones fused into a single structure bearing a single tooth. Strong muscles control the lower and upper pharyngeal bones, which can be used as an auxiliary set of jaws to process food.

Other characteristic features of cichlids include:

One nostril opening on each side of the forehead No bony plate at the bottom of the eye Lateral line organ divided into two sections: one on the upper portion of the flank and the other running along the midline of the flank, from about halfway along the body to the base of the tail. A uniquely shaped otolith Differently to the other members of Labroidei, in cichlid fish, the small intestine's exit from the stomach is located on the left side instead of the right side.

Habitat of Cichlids

Cichlids are freshwater fish living in lakes and ponds, although many species tolerate brackish water for extended periods. The most famous species live in Africa (e.g., Malawi cichlid and Tanganyika cichlid), Central America and South America.

Although, most cichlids live in shallow depths, cichlid species such as Alticorpus macrocleithrum and Pallidochromis tokolosh have been found at 500 ft below the surface in Lake Malawi, and the Lamprologus lethops is thought to live at even 520 ft below the water surface in the Congo.

Cichlid Diet

Most cichlids are herbivores. Their diet includes primarily algae (e.g. Petrochromis) and aquatic plants (e.g. Etroplus suratensis). Other species (e.g., Corematodus) eat scales and fins of other fishes, a behavior known as lepidophagy.

Other cichlid species are "detritivores" (