Cichlid

Cichlid is a variety of fish that belongs to the Cichlidae family. This fish variety belongs to the Labroidei genus, is both big and different. The Cichlid fish breeds are one among the most admired freshwater fish maintained in the home aquarium. These fish varieties are active, attractive, and are generally fairly durable fish.

Features

The Cichlid fish breeds come in an extensive range of body sizes and they differ in body shape, varying from solid and disc-shaped to triangular-shaped to the extended and cylindrical-shaped. They have a small-sized to medium-sized body, with different features that distinguished them from other varieties. These fish breeds have a single nostril on both sides of the forehead, without bony shelf beneath the orbit of the eye. Their lateral line organ is divided into two sections such that one section is on the upper half of the border and the second section is along the middle line of the flank from halfway down the body to the foot of the tail.

Diet

The Cichlid fish breeds are chiefly herbivores, and they feed on plants, such as Etroplus suratensis and algae, such as Petrochromis. They also feed on little animals, chiefly invertebrates, but they are the insignificant part of their diet.

Reproduction

The Cichlid fish breeds are either polygamous or monogamous in mating. The mating structure of this fish variety is not consistently connected with its brooding system. Parental care in this fish variety comes under any one among the four categories, such as secretive cave brooders, substrate or open brooders, and at least two kinds of mouth brooders, such as larvophile mouth brooders and ovophile mouth brooders.

The secretive cave Cichlid fish lay their eggs in crevices, caves, holes, or useless mollusk shells, habitually attaching the eggs to the top of the chamber.

The Cichlid fish that are substrate or open brooders set their eggs in the open, on leaves, rocks, or logs.

The larvophile mouth brooding Cichlid fish lay their eggs in a cave or in the open and carry the hatched larvae into their mouth.

The Cichlid fish that are ovophile mouth brooders hatch their eggs in their mouths once they are laid, and habitually mouth brood the free-swimming young ones for some weeks.

The average lifespan of the Cichlid fish ranges from 4 years to 10 years.