How to Identify African Cichlids

African cichlids are beautifully colored fish that live in the lakes of Africa such as Malawi, Victoria, and Tanganyika near rocks and mountains. They are known for their colors as well as their intelligence. African cichlids are one of the largest groups of freshwater fish in the world. There are approximately 3,000 different species of African cichlids that exist. They adjust well to captivity and are somewhat easy to keep as pets.

Instructions

    • 1

      Notice the colors of African cichlid. Most of the cichlids are brightly colored including the red empress that is blue on top and red on the bottom, the blue dolphin is turquoise, and the golden mbuna is bright yellow with black on the fins and dorsal. Most males are brighter colored than females. For instance, the female electric blue hap is not blue, but brownish grey.

    • 2

      Recognize the body shape of the African cichlids. They have two types of bodies. There are laterally compressed African cichlids such as the altolamprologus or cyndrical and elongated such as the julidochromis.

    • 3

      Look at the African cichlids body length. They are considered large in comparison to other types of fish. They can get as long as 12 inches such as the Malawi eyebiter. African cichlids can also live up to 10 years.

    • 4

      Notice African cichlids behavior. Most African cichlids are aggressive such as the electric blue hap, while other cichlids are not as aggressive such as the red empress. They are aggressive when they eat the fry of other fishes as well as in their hunting techniques. For instance, the cichlids will lay in the sand, pretending to be dead. This allows them to attack their prey easier. Other cichlids will only be aggressive when defending their young.

    • 5

      See what the African cichlids eat. Some cichlids such as the electric yellow are herbivores, eating only plants, insects, algae, and snails. The other African cichlids are omnivores, eating both plants and small animals such as smaller fish.

    • 6

      Check how the African cichlids protect their young. The males protect the eggs and frys by fighting off any potential predator. Many of the females are mouthbrooders which means they carry their eggs in their mouths after laying them. The females have a section in their mouths that enables them to store the eggs. The female African cichlid will hold the eggs up to 31 days. They can lay up to 70 eggs. Other females that are substrate brooders lay their eggs on leaves, rocks, or caves. They place the eggs in a hole in a rock or keep them in a cave to help protect the eggs from predators.