What is a cichlid?
A cichlid [pronounced sick-lid] is a fish in the Family Cichlidae. This is an immense family of freshwater fishes of almost unbelievable diversity. Conservative estimates of the number of species of cichlids range from 1300 to many, many more. Many people have seen a cichlid without even knowing it: oscars and freshwater angelfish, both common aquarium fishes, are cichlids. What is NOT a cichlid? Lots of fishes are not cichlids. All cichlids are freshwater fish (though a few are occasionally found in brackish water and rarely in coastal marine areas). There are lots of marine fish that look like cichlids but are not cichlids. There are also tons of other freshwater fish that are not cichlids. Keep in mind that the Cichlidae is just one of 482 families of fishes. There are over 25,000 species of fishes all together, which incidentally is more than all the birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians combined. Evolutionary Relationshps How do the cichlids fit into the 25,000 species of living
