Cichlids are one of the largest and strangest groups of vertebrate fish — fish with backbones — on Earth. They’re popular as pets and farmed in aquaculture, and scientists have been studying them ...

There are concerned, overprotective parents, and then there are cichlid fish. After a male cichlid fertilizes the female’s eggs, she holds her entire brood of embryos inside her mouth for two weeks ...

Few sights in nature are more heartwarming than that of a mother caring for her young — unless that nurturing act ends with an episode of cannibalism. Female cichlids — fish in the family Cichlidae — ...

It all started with the Convict cichlids. The small striped fish, native of Central America, captured Sac State Biology Professor Ron Coleman’s attention in a laboratory at the University of Toronto ...

In bony fish the swim bladder primarily serves for buoyancy. Moreover, in many species it also possesses acoustic functions: it plays a role in sound production and improves hearing in numerous ways.

Cichlids are a striking type of freshwater fish with over 500 species. They're usually found in warmer regions and in various bodies of water, including ponds, rivers, lakes, and streams. Most species ...

We associate nests with shelter, warmth, and a safe retreat—and usually picture a bird's nest made out of twigs, grass and feathers. Yet many other animals take advantage of such refuges, with nests ...

In social fish like cichlids, status is everything. High-status males are territorial and colorful – they defend territories and reproduce with females. Low-status males, which are less colorful and ...

A few hundred thousand years ago, a group of fish in an African lake evolved something new—a set of strong chewing jaws in their throats. They became better at eating a wide variety of tough foods.

The analysis of fossils in sediment cores from Lake Victoria, Africa, reveals that a group of cichlid fish rapidly diversified as the lake got larger and provided new ecological niches, whereas the ...