| Cichlid
Temporal range: Eocene to present（molecular clock suggests Cretaceous origins）
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Common freshwater angelfish, Pterophyllum scalare |
|
Scientific classification |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Clade: | Percomorpha |
| (unranked): | Ovalentaria |
| Order: | Cichliformes |
| Family: | Cichlidae Bonaparte, 1835 |
| Subfamilies | |
| Cichlinae Etroplinae Heterochromidinae Pseudocrenilabrinae Ptychochrominae For genera, see below. |
|
Cichlids /ˈsɪklɪdz/ are fish from the family Cichlidae in the order Cichliformes. Cichlids were traditionally classed in a suborder, Labroidei, along with the wrasses (Labridae), in the order Perciformes but molecular studies have contradicted this grouping.The closest living relatives of cichlids are probably the convict blennies and both families are classified in the 5th edition of Fishes of the World as the two families in the Cichliformes, part of the subseries Ovalentaria. This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,650 species have been scientifically described, making it one of the largest vertebrate families. New species are discovered annually, and many species remain undescribed. The actual number of species is therefore unknown, with estimates varying between 2,000 and 3,000.
Many cichlids are primarily herbivores, feeding on algae (e.g. Petrochromis) and plants (e.g. Etroplus suratensis). Small animals, particularly invertebrates, are only a minor part of their diets.
In 2010, the International Union for Conservation of Nature classified 184 species as vulnerable, 52 as endangered, and 106 as critically endangered. Many large cichlids are popular game fish. Since 1945, cichlids have become increasingly popular as aquarium fish.
