Miscellaneous Cichlids

Not all African cichlids are native to the big Rift Lakes of Malawi and Tanganyika and their requirements can be very different. You’ll find the Rift Lake cichlids listed separately and the dwarf members of the family are also dealt with elsewhere.

Many of the remaining fishes are from soft water rivers, or smaller vegetated lakes and swamps. Some, such as the rapids adapted Blockheads are suitable for some community set ups, whereas those such as the Hornet tilapia are amongst the most aggressive cichlids in the hobby. The red Jewel cichlids are somewhere in between, with their stunning breeding colouration serving as a warning to other fishes to keep away.

India has three native species which are referred to as Chromides. The largest, the Green chromide, is a mostly brackish fish with a taste for vegetation and grows large enough to a popular food fish in its native land. The Orange chromide is the most common in the aquarium although the brightly coloured red form is seen far more often than the confusingly greenish wild form that causes chaos when labelled as a ‘green chromide’. Rarest of the trio is the Canara chromide, found inland where the water flows soft and sweet.

Madagascar is a unique island where habitat loss is running amok. The cichlids here are threatened with extinction but some have found sanctuary in the aquarium trade. The Dambas are clearly related to the Indian cichlids but oddly reminiscent of marine tangs, the more distantly related Paratilapia seem to be one of the most primitive cichlids alive today and are amazingly adaptable.