The Jordan Mouthbrooder (Haplochromis flaviijosephi or Astatotilapia flaviijosephi) is the only haplochromine cichlid whose natural range is not in the continent of Africa.  It is found in rivers, freshwater lakes, and freshwater springs in Israel and Syria, and because of habitat loss, is considered endangered. There are a small number of isolated populations in the […]

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The Convict Cichlid (Archocentrus nigrofasciatus)also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Zebra cichlid, is found in the lakes, rivers, and streams of Central America, primarily from El Salvador to Guatemala on the Pacific coast, and from Honduras to Guatemala on the Atlantic side. Although Convict cichlids are found in lakes, they prefer living […]

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The Kribensis (Pelvicachromis pulcher) or “Krib” as many tropical fish keeping enthusiasts call them, is endemic to Nigeria and Cameroon, Africa. Kribs are a popular aquarium species that are sold under various names such as; the common krib, red krib, super red krib, rainbow krib, rainbow cichlid, and purple cichlid Although some populations of Kribensis […]

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Burton’s Mouthbrooder (Astatotilapia burtoni) has been found in Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia, and is considered a Victorian cichlid from the middle of Lake Tanganyika, however, it has also been collected from Lake Kivu, which is north of Lake Tanganyika and west of  Lake Victoria. Burton’s Mouthbrooders, synonymous with Haplochromis burtoni, prefer living in the […]

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The African Butterfly Cichlid (Anomalochromis thomasi) is a small riverine cichlid that inhabits the heavily vegetated forest streams of Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia in Western Africa. African Butterfly Cichlids prefer living in slightly acidic, oxygen rich streams with a great deal of overhanging vegetation. The fallen leaves, branches, etc. in the water column stains […]

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The Convict Julie (Julidochromis regani) is a slender, torpedo shaped cichlid species that is endemic to Lake Tanganyika and found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, and Zambia. Similar to Marliers Julie (Julidochromis Marlieri), the Convict Julie (Julidochromis regani) is a “dwarf cichlid” that is easy to breed and care for as […]

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Festivum (Mesonauta festivus, Cichlasoma festivum) also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as Flag Cichlids or Barred Cichlids, are found throughout much of the river drainages of northern South America. They have been collected from the Rio Tapajós, Rio Jamari, Rio Madre de Dios, Rio Guaporé, Rio Mamoré, Rio Paraguay and Rio Paraná in Venezuela, […]

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The Kribensis Cichlid (Pelvicachromis pulcher) is a popular African cichlid that is endemic to Nigeria and Cameroon.   It is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as kribensis, krib, common krib, red krib, super red krib, rainbow krib, rainbow cichlid, and purple cichlid. The Kribensis Cichlid can be found in fast moving waters, but it […]

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The Electric Blue Jack Dempsey (Cichlasoma octofasciatum) also known scientifically as Archocentrus octofasciatus, Nandopsis octofasciatum, or Rocio octofasciata is found in northern and Central America from the Papaloapan River in southern Mexico to the Ulua River in Honduras. Although it has become somewhat more common in tropical fish keeping shops, it is a somewhat rare […]

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The Green Terror Cichlid (Aequidens rivulatus) is a South American river cichlid found primarily in the Rio Tumbes in Peru, and the Rio Esmeraldas in Ecuador. Green Terror Cichlids are collected from over a variety of substrates that include mud, sand, gravel, large river rocks, and even thickly layered beds of dead leaves.  They are […]

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The Nicaraguense Cichlid (Herichthys nicaraguense) correctly identified as Hypsophrys nicaraguensis, is endemic to the Atlantic slope of Central America from the San Juan drainage, including Lake Nicaragua (in Costa Rica and Nicaragua), to the Matina River drainage in Costa Rica. The Nicaraguense Cichlid is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Moga, Parrot […]

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The Electric Blue Acara (Andinoacara pulcher) is a stunning color variety of the Blue Acara cichlid that is native to Trinidad and Tobogo and parts of Venezuela.  The Blue Acara is found in found throughout Central and South America from Panama to Columbia and is often confused with the highly aggressive Green Terror (Andinoacara rivulatus) […]

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Africa’s Hornet Cichlid (Tilapia buttikoferi) inhabits the coastal rivers of Western Africa from Guinea-Bissau to West Liberia and is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Buttikoferi Cichlid, Tiger Tilapia, Zebra Tilapia, and Hornet Tilapia. Hornet Cichlids prefer the deeper waters and rocky habitats of vegetation choked West African rivers with salinities between […]

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The Midas cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellum) is endemic to the San Juan River in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and is one of the most belligerent cichlids known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts.   They are frequently confused with the Red Devil cichlid (Amphilophus labiatus) which has larger lips, a smaller nuchal hump and less thickly set in […]

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The Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) is a popular South American cichlid species that is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Tiger Oscar, Marble Cichlid and Velvet Cichlid. Astronotus ocellatus is native to Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, and occurs in the Amazon River basin, along the Amazonas, Içá, Negro, Solimões, and Ucayali […]

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Ram Cichlids (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) are a peaceful, social species of Dwarf cichlid that are found in the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela and Columbia, South America. There are several color variations of Mikrogeophagus ramirezi that lend to their common names such as German Blue Ram, Electric Blue Ram, German Gold Ram, Butterfly Cichlid, Blue Ram, […]

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The Managuense Cichlid (Parachromis managuense) is a large Central American species that is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Jaguar Cichlid or Aztec Cichlid.   The species was originally found in Lake Managua, Nicaragua where it got its name but is distributed throughout Central America from Honduras to Costa Rica. The Jaguar […]

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The Firemouth Cichlid (Thorichthys meeki) is found in the shallow, slower moving (and often turbid) rivers of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, south through Belize and into northern Guatemala. The Firemouth Cichlid’s body color is a pearlescent turquoise blue, with red edged scales. The “throat” and breast areas are colored a brick to fire engine red, […]

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The Striped Lamprologus (Neolamprologus buescheri) is a Lake Tanganyikan cichlid that inhabits areas of shoreline with rocky substrates from Tembwe II on the western coast, all around the southern part of the lake, up to Samazi on the eastern side.   Several geographical morphs are available from other areas of the lake, including “gombi”, “kachese”, […]

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The Canara Pearlspot Cichlid (Etroplus canarensis) is one of the hobby’s rarest cichlids and was once believed to be extinct in the wild, only to reappear at a far east trade show in the early 1990s. It is also known to tropical fish keeping enthusiasts as the Banded Chromide, Pearlspot Cichlid, or Roman Numeral Cichlid. […]

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