Belle Isle Aquarium
  • Home
  • Explore
    • Meet the Animals
    • Kids' Corner
    • Meet the Staff
    • Meet the Researchers
  • Get Involved
  • For Educators
    • K-12 Curriculum Assistance >
      • Invasive species card game
    • Educating about Invasive Species >
      • Invasive species teacher resources
      • Invasive Species Presentation
  • Search
Gold Shelldweller Cichlid

Cichlids are famed for their fantastic breeding and reproduction habits. Some males build underwater sandcastles to impress and attract a mate. Some species work with other fish such as the kampango catfish to share a nest and earn protection from predators. Females of several cichlid species carry their fertilized eggs in their mouths to keep them safe;once hatched, the young fish will return to their mother's mouth when they sense danger.
There are more species of cichlids than there are of any other vertebrate species. Sadly,there are also more species of cichlids which are endangered than any other vertebrate species. In some cichlid species, which live in groups, the dominant female will change sex if the male of the group dies.

IUCN list a total of 156 cichlid species as vulnerable, 40 as endangered, and 69 as critically endangered, 6 species are now thought to be extinct in the wild.
Picture
Some cichlid species, such as tilapia for example, are important food sources. Overfishing is the major threat facing this amazing array of cichlid species. Other major problems include introduced species such as Nile perch and water hyacinth, and deforestation, which causes siltation of the water.
Next is Tilapia
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.