Cichlid fish (pronounced “sick-lid”) are a large family of freshwater, bony fish species. While the exact number of species is unknown, it’s thought that well over 1,000 exist in the Cichlidae family today. Of all the species of vertebrates, more than five percent are cichlids. Find out more!

Vivid, vibrant, and varied, cichlids species include angelfishes, Oscars, discus, green terror, yellow lab, firemouth, blood red parrot, humphead, and convict. A common member of the Cichlid family is the tilapia.

Tilapia are Old World (native to Africa or Asia) cichlids that are important as wild or pond-raised food fish in the tropics and, increasingly, in subtropical and even temperate climates.

Cichlids can be herbivorous, feeding on algae and plants; carnivorous, preying on small animals, other fishes, and insect larvae; or detritivores, eating all types of organic material. The species are very specific in habitat choice: some live only among the rocks, others in open water, others along sandy beaches. They have evolved behaviors and tooth structures to live this way.

This fish provides parental care in one form or another. This is not the norm for fish—most fish species do not provide parental care, and of those that do, it is typically the male that provides the parental care (in contrast to mammals or birds where the female is often the primary caregiver). But in cichlids, almost anything can and does happen, and that is one of the most fascinating aspects of their biology.