Cichlid Fish Types: Groups, Examples and How to Tell

There are at least 1,760 described cichlid species, and Wikipedia says the true number is probably 2,000 to 3,000, which makes the family one of the largest among vertebrates. For fishkeepers the useful way to sort them is by where they come from, because origin predicts water chemistry, size and temperament:

• Africa: about 1,600 species, most in Lakes Malawi, Tanganyika and Victoria
• Central America and Mexico: about 120 species
• South America: angelfish, discus, oscars, apistogrammas and the peacock bass
• Madagascar, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent: a few species; in Asia, native cichlids occur only in Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, India and Sri Lanka

All figures are from Wikipedia. Fishkeeper, a UK retailer, uses nearly the same grouping: Central American, South American, dwarf, Malawi, Tanganyikan and miscellaneous cichlids.

Cichlids share three body features that most look-alikes lack (Wikipedia):

• One nostril on each side of the head, where most fish have two
• A lateral line broken into two parts, an upper front section and a lower rear one
• Pharyngeal jaws: a second, tooth-bearing set of jaws in the throat, which lets the mouth grab food while the throat jaws process it

Behaviour is the other giveaway. All cichlids care for their young, either as substrate brooders that guard eggs on a rock or in a cave, or as mouthbrooders that carry eggs and fry in the mouth (Wikipedia). A fish that digs pits, guards a spot or herds a cloud of fry is very likely a cichlid.

These are the colourful, hard-water fish of the African Rift lakes; our African cichlids page covers stocking, substrate and prices in detail.

• Malawi mbuna: rock-dwelling, algae-grazing and the most aggressive group. Two gentler ones: the yellow lab (Labidochromis caeruleus), "maybe the most peaceful of all mbuna", and the yellow tail acei (Cichlid Bros).
• Malawi peacocks: Aulonocara, 19 species, less aggressive than mbuna; males brightly coloured, females grey. See our peacock fish page.
• Malawi haps: open-water fish such as the electric blue hap (Sciaenochromis fryeri), 6 to 7 in, which Cichlid Bros says needs 75 gallons at a minimum.
• Tanganyika: from the smallest cichlid, the shell-dwelling Neolamprologus multifasciatus at 2.5 cm, to Boulengerochromis at close to 1 m (Wikipedia).
• Victoria: Lake Victoria once held more than 500 haplochromine species; see the African cichlids page for how many have been lost.

• Kribensis: from West African rivers; small and "usually docile in comparison to other cichlids"; 30 to 40 gallons (Cichlid Bros)
• Jewel cichlid (Hemichromis): 5 to 6 in, red, gold or blue-green; aggressive; 40 gallons; prefers softer, less alkaline water than lake cichlids (Aquarium Co-op)

• Freshwater angelfish: the tall-finned classic of community tanks; see our angelfish page
• Discus (Symphysodon): 5 to 7 in, 75 gallons for 6, warm water at 84 to 86F (Aquarium Co-op)
• Oscar: a large South American pet cichlid; see our oscar page
• Severum: "gentle giants"; 55 gallons minimum, 75 or more ideal (Cichlid Bros)
• Electric blue acara: 6 to 8 in, calm for a cichlid; 50 to 55 gallons (Aquarium Co-op, Cichlid Bros)
• Apistogramma and German blue ram: dwarf cichlids; apistos top out around 3 in and suit 20 gallons (Cichlid Bros)
• Peacock bass (Cichla): a sport fish reaching close to 1 m (Wikipedia); see our peacock bass page

• Convict cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata): about 12 cm (4.7 in) total length; breeds as soon as a male and female share a tank; territorial and aggressive, more so at 30C than at 26C; feral populations in Australia, Japan, Mexico, Colombia, Taiwan and the USA (Wikipedia)
• Firemouth (Thorichthys meeki): semi-aggressive; at least 40 gallons for one (Cichlid Bros)
• Jack Dempsey (Rocio octofasciata): one of the hardiest cichlids but can be aggressive; 75 gallons for an adult (Cichlid Bros)
• Red devil (Amphilophus labiatus): from Lakes Managua and Nicaragua; Wikipedia describes it ramming the glass, wrecking equipment and sometimes biting owners

Some of the cichlids sold most often do not exist in the wild, and an ID app or book will not match them to a wild species:

• Flowerhorn: bred in Malaysia and Taiwan from about 1993-1994 from red devil, trimac and blood parrot cichlids; males have a large head hump, called a nuchal hump; most males are sterile; importation is banned in Australia, and released fish became pests in Singapore and Malaysia (Wikipedia)
• Blood parrot: a hybrid first bred in Taiwan around 1986, with a small beak-like mouth; see our blood parrot page
• OB peacock: peacock cichlids carrying the orange blotch pattern from mbuna, created by hybridising in aquariums (Live Fish Direct)

Most aggressive: among common aquarium cichlids, the red devil has the clearest record; Wikipedia describes it attacking tank equipment and even owners, and Wikipedia also calls flowerhorns aggressive. Malawi mbuna are the most aggressive group of African cichlids. Convicts are small but fiercely territorial when breeding.

Best cichlid: it depends on your tank. Cichlid Bros' ten best beginner cichlids are the Jack Dempsey, electric blue hap, kribensis, apistogramma, yellow tail acei, severum, electric blue acara, yellow lab, firemouth and convict. For a 20 to 40 gallon tank, the kribensis or an apistogramma is the realistic choice; for colour in 55 gallons, peacock cichlids or yellow labs; for one big personality fish, an oscar or severum in 75 gallons.

Are cichlids good for beginners? Some are. Kribensis, apistogrammas, yellow labs and convicts are hardy and forgiving (Cichlid Bros). What catches beginners out is size and aggression, so check the adult size and tank needs before buying a small juvenile.

Work from the broad group down:

• Check it is a cichlid: one nostril each side and a two-part lateral line (Wikipedia).
• Place the group: a deep-bodied, brightly coloured fish from a rocky, hard-water tank is probably African; a tall, disc-shaped or large-headed fish from a soft-water tank is probably South or Central American.
• Look for hybrid signs: a head hump, a tiny beak-like mouth or patchy orange blotches point to flowerhorn, blood parrot or OB lines, which have no wild species name.
• Photograph an adult male: females and juveniles of many species are plain and look alike.

FishLens identifies fish from a photo. Take a sharp side-on photo in good light, and see our guide to identifying fish from a photo for tips on shooting through glass.

Cichlids are not only aquarium fish. Tilapia are cichlids, and Wikipedia reports tilapia farming of about 1,500,000 tonnes a year, worth an estimated US$1.8 billion. The peacock bass supports more than US$8 million a year in sportfishing revenue in Florida alone (Wikipedia). If you eat fish you catch, check the local fishing regulations and any fish-consumption advisory for that water.

Research and drafting for this page were assisted by AI and checked line by line against the sources listed below. Every number names the organisation it comes from, and where sources disagree we say so instead of picking one silently. Prices are shop listings we checked on 25 September 2026; they change, so confirm before you rely on them. If you find an error, tell us and we will correct it.