All cichlids are Cichlidae family members. Discus, Angelfish, Oscar and Jack Dempsey are some of the most common cichlid species that people know about. Cichlidae stands out as a highly diverse family that has spread around the world and appears in many environments. What is interesting is that cichlid species basically developed so that they can fit the surroundings. This is the main reason why one cichlid species will show size, temperament and water quality differences when compared with another. You can find cichlid fish in Africa, Asia and America.
Three important cichlids species groups exist according to most specialists. They are South American, Central and North American and African. Great Rift Valley is the area where most African cichlids are found. African cichlids are based in 4 subcategories based on living location. We need to mention Lake Malawi cichlids, Lake Tanganyika cichlids, Lake Victoria cichlids and others. Although it is common to consider a dwarf cichlid to be an African cichlid some people will look at them as a separate species.
Whenever we are considering raising cichlids in aquariums we need to know that some are really problematic. This is because some of them are really big. We now know of the biggest cichlid species reaching a maximum of 100 centimeters. Dwarf cichlids will just grow till around 3 cm in most cases. Aquarists do find the dwarf cichlid appealing due to the fact that a large aquarium is not needed. If you do want to raise them in aquariums there is an immediate need to take good care of them as they are highly sensitive.
Cichlids from diffrent species show different temperaments and feeding pattersn alsthough anatomically they are similar. A cichlid will have its small intestine leaving the body in the left side and only has a single nostril. Cichlids can also easily be recognized as they have teeth in their throats, upper jaws and lower jaws.