Cichlids-Cichlidae

CICHLIDS

General:
With more than 2,000 species, the family Cichlidae is the biggest freshwater fish family.
It is widely distributed in South America and Africa, and a very few species are found in Asia.
The East African lakes Malawi, Tanganyika, and Victoria alone each have several hundred endemic species.

Biology:
All the species have highly developed parental-care patterns.
In some species, both parents care for the young, while in others, only one parent participates in the rearing of juvenile cichlids.
Further distinction are based on how and where the eggs and larvae are tended:
Mouthbrooding cichlids take eggs and/or larvae into their mouths and brood them there for several weeks; substrate brooders on the other hand, lay eggs on a suitable surface (open-water brooders) or in a shelter or cavity (cavity brooders).

Family Life

Cichlids display intriguing behavioral patterns that make them popular objects of study.
It is amazing for example, that these "simple" fish can construct a complex social system.
For example, some Lake Tanganyikan cichlids form virtual extended families, in which the older siblings help raise the younger ones.

Note>Demon earth eaters take their fry back into their mouths if danger threatens.