Do cichlids have scales?

Cichlid scales are of the bony ridge type (Lagler et al., 1977). The terms in use for describing these scales (Laming & Higginbotham, 1974; Sire, 1986) are explained in Fig. 1. The scale is divided into a rostral and a caudal field.

Why are African cichlids so colorful?

Most species of African Cichlids are sexually dimorphic, meaning that male members of a species are brightly colored while females are a subdued hue. This odd color variation between sexes is important for ensuring the safety of the females in a colony.

What makes a cichlid a cichlid?

As a group, cichlids exhibit a similar diversity of body shapes, ranging from strongly laterally compressed species (such as Altolamprologus, Pterophyllum, and Symphysodon) to species that are cylindrical and highly elongated (such as Julidochromis, Teleogramma, Teleocichla, Crenicichla, and Gobiocichla).

How many species of cichlids are in Lake Tanganyika?

About Lake Tanganyika. Lake Tanganyika is home to at least 250 species of cichlids and another 75 or so species of non-cichlid fish.

What should I Feed my Lake Tanganyika cichlids?

In the home aquarium these fish should be offered high-quality commercial flakes, pellets, and granules as well as fresh and frozen foods like earthworms, bring shrimp, and blood worms. Lake Tanganyika cichlids are egg layers but different species exhibit different breeding habits.

What kind of cichlids live in Lake Malawi?

Many species are considerably less aggressive than their Lake Malawian cousins, and are likely to be victims of more aggressive Malawi mbuna if kept together. These dwarf cichlids hail from a number of different families, and include members in the Lamprologus, Neolamprologus, Lepidolamprologus and Telmatochromis genera.

Are there any common names for African cichlids?

Common names are very unreliable and can vary from one supplier to the next. Scientific names (i.e., binomial latin names), on the other hand, are the only names which do not vary from one shop to the next or even between languages. This resource does not display every cichlid species.