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.
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.
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.
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.
