Cichlids come in all shapes and sizes and live in South America, North America, Africa and Asia. Since they require warm conditions, they are only found south of 30 degrees North on the North American continent. Many aquarium keepers are fond of cichlids and keep them in their tropical aquariums. Since cichlids have adapted to a wide range of different habitats, you can almost always find cichlids that are suitable for your particular aquarium and level of experience.
Most beginner aquarium keepers have comparatively small aquariums and can therefore be tempted to get some of the dwarf cichlid variants for their first cichlid aquarium, but before you make such a decision you should be aware that dwarf cichlids are more sensitive and harder to keep than most medium-sized cichlids. Choosing a sturdy, medium-sized cichlid is therefore usually a better idea for the novice aquarium keepers, even if it means that you must purchase a larger aquarium or keep a lower number of fishes.
The cichlids belong to a family named Cichlidae that currently contains more than 1300 described species in 105 different genera. These numbers will however most likely change in the future, since many of the waters where cichlids can be found are far from comprehensively explored by science. We only have to take a look in the Great Rift Valley lakes on the African continent to marvel at the abundance of endemic cichlid species that can be found in each lake. If these lakes were to be thoroughly investigated - before pollution, over fishing, invasive species and other environmental problems are allowed to go too far - we would probably find a wide range of new cichlid species and even new genera.
As mentioned above, cichlid species have evolved to fit into a vast array of different ecological niches and they will therefore display diverse characteristics. There are however a series of physical characteristics shared by all cichlid species. The cichlids will for instance have only one single nostril - just like the damsel fishes. Unlike many other fish groups, the cichlids are equipped with teeth in the upper and lower jaws, and even inside the throat. The cichlids have a small intestine that leaves the body at the left side of the cichlid, instead of the right side which is the normal anatomy for fishes.
Cichlids are appreciated by aquarium keepers all over the world and some of the most popular aquarium fishes belong to the family Cichlidae. Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus), Jack Dempsey (Archocentrus octofasciatum), freshwater Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) and the various Discus variants are just a few examples of cichlids commonly found in aquariums. Before you purchase a cichlid, you should always find out its preferred environment, temperament, maximal size and feeding habits since it is impossible to create an aquarium that is suitable for all different cichlid species. Giving general guidelines regarding cichlid keeping is quite a waste of time, since one cichlid species may be killed or severely stressed by water conditions that are highly suitable for another member of the same family.
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