Top 10 Most Beautiful Cichlid Fish

Cichlids refer to fish of the family Cichlidae, also known as Cichlidae or Cichlidae, belonging to the order Perciformes. There are about 200 genera and more than 2,000 species discovered, most of which are freshwater fish. They are widely distributed in nature, including America (especially Texas and south of the United States), Africa, the Middle East of Asia, and India. This type of fish is named "Cichlid" because of its unique behavior of protecting its young.

Astronotus ocellatus

Cichlid fish are very popular in home aquariums and are often kept as freshwater ornamental fish. Today, we will introduce the top ten most fascinating Cichlid fish species in the world. Let's take a look at their style.

1. Discus fish（Symphysodon discus）

Discus fish, among all the fascinating groups of Cichlids, is widely regarded as one of the most eye-catching species. This amazing creature has a stunning appearance, with a body that is bright blue, dark green or even brown, and eight equally spaced reddish-brown horizontal stripes along the distribution area from the gill cover to the caudal peduncle.

The body color of the discus fish will show different colors as the light changes. In a dim light environment, their bodies will appear more dull; in bright light, their colors will become more colorful, and the whole body is covered with gorgeous and rich stripes. From a distance, the head, body and fins are difficult to distinguish, just like a discus on the sports field, hence the name "discus". The patterns on this amazing creature are colorful and colorful, so it is favored by fish lovers and is known as the "Emperor of Tropical Ornamental Fish".

2. Black Cloud Fish（Uaru amphiacanthoides）

Among the many cichlid fish, my personal favorite is the black cloud fish. The black cloud fish has a flat, egg-shaped body and is a fish that becomes more attractive as it grows. Although it may not look impressive at a small size, its appearance begins to change once it grows to about 10 cm. Its body color gradually changes to lemon yellow, black spots appear in the center of the body, the area around the eyes becomes ruddy, and finally the whole body presents a base color close to dark blue. Male black cloud fish have more gorgeous body color than females, are slightly larger in size, and have more slender dorsal and anal fins, while female black cloud fish show the characteristic of swollen abdomen.

However, the breeding process of black cloud fish is relatively difficult, which is one of the reasons for its high price. Despite this, black cloud fish is still loved by people for its unique appearance and characteristics.

3. White-spotted Satan Seabass (Satanoperca leucosticta)

White-spotted Satan Seabass, also known as Yellow Pearl Gem Fish, is a highly regarded species of South American cichlid fish. It often inhabits tropical freshwater rivers with water temperatures between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius, and its total length is generally about 15 cm. This fish has bright spots on its cheeks and gill covers, which is why it is called "Yellow Pearl Gem". In addition, the snout is covered with horizontal wavy lines, and the edge of the dorsal fin is inlaid with at least two bright eye spots.

However, white-spotted Satan Seabass is somewhat aggressive, especially during the breeding period, when male fish sometimes attack female fish. Since this fish is a mouth-brooding type, sometimes the attack of male fish will cause the breeding mission to fail, so it is best to keep female fish alone to facilitate successful spawning.

4. Colorful Pineapple(Cichlasoma salvini)

Colorful Pineapple is widely recognized as one of the most ornamental beautiful porgy, often showing mature characteristics when it is small, male fish is about 15 cm, and female fish is about 10 cm. The base color of this fish is usually bright yellow, but when fully mature, female fish are often more gorgeous than male fish, often showing a very transparent yellow.

They may have a black spot on the gills, or irregular black spots on the dorsal fin. Male individuals usually have longer anal fins and their entire body is covered with beautiful sequins. This appearance attracts many porgy lovers, so they have been praised as show fish or excellent pets.

5. Jade Crown(Red tail crown) 

Which South American cichlid is the most charming? Jade Crown is also very popular. They originated from the Amazon River in South America. Adult individuals are about 25 cm long and oval in shape. They are covered with metallic blue. The dorsal fin, anal fin and caudal fin are decorated with bright red edges, which form a sharp contrast with the overall metallic blue. There is a dark red tumor on the top of the male fish's head, like a ruler wearing a crown, conveying the visual effect of longevity and prosperity.

Tips: Crown fish are more aggressive in temperament. It is not recommended to mix multiple male individuals to avoid fighting and causing injuries, which will damage their ornamental value.

6. Purple Firemouth（Paraneetroplus synspilus）

Purple Firemouth is also a cherished species among South American cichlids, and its colors are unpredictable. If properly maintained, its body will show colorful colors, and its forehead will swell, showing a very high ornamental value. It is difficult to compare with ordinary arowana. However, it is worth noting that if it is not well maintained, it will lose its uniqueness.

In addition, the purple firemouth fish is very powerful and may uproot the decorations in the aquarium, and it will eat water plants, so it is not suitable to be placed in a water plant tank. As one of the parents of breeding blood parrots, although it is not common in the market, it has attracted much attention in fish farms.

7. Golden Pineapple(Cichlasoma severum) 

Golden Pineapple is another popular snapper, which can reach 18-20 cm in length. They are oval, golden-yellow in color, with red patterns on their heads, large eyes and small mouths, and golden-red irises. When they are young, they are yellow-white and relatively inconspicuous, but as they grow, they gradually show a golden body and red dots and stripes, which are very charming, so they are loved by many fish lovers.

This fish is usually gentle and quiet, but it will become irritable and aggressive when it is in heat or extremely hungry.

8. Sapphire Fish （Placidochromis phenochilus）

The Blue Jade Cichlid, also known as the Sapphire Fish or the Blue Mouth Phoenix, is a cichlid fish originating from Central America. It is generally between 15 and 20 cm long, with a laterally flattened oval body, a triangular head, and a slightly sturdy snout. There is a short anal fin near the back of the dorsal fin, some hard spines in front, and the pelvic fins are located on the chest. The body color of the Sapphire Fish is extremely gorgeous, initially showing a cobalt blue background, with bright blue spots all over the body and pale lips. As it matures, its body color changes to blue-green, with large silver-white spots covering the entire body, while the lips remain pale.

This fish is lively and agile, and likes to follow other fish turning over the sand to steal food. It can be mixed with other fish and is a popular fish with high ornamental value.

9. Tuli fish(Astronotus ocellatus) 

The eye-spotted star fish, commonly known as Tuli fish, piglet fish or tail star fish, is generally about 35 cm long and is native to Guyana, Venezuela and the Amazon River Basin in Brazil in South America. This fish is burly, oval, thick, wide, tall, slightly flat on the sides, and has a large mouth; it is usually black, yellowish brown or blue-black in color, with irregular orange-yellow patches and red stripes on the sides of its body, like a gorgeous map;

The end of the mature fish tail will show a large black spot with a red-yellow edge, like a pair of blazing eyes, and there is a round black spot above the base of the tail fin, surrounded by an orange-red halo, which is dazzling when swimming, like the stars in the summer night, hence the name "tail star fish".

10. Bolivian Phoenix(Mikrogeophagus altispinosus) 

Bolivian Phoenix, commonly known as the pocket butterfly cichlid, is native to Bolivia from Dos Santos to northern Trinidad and Tobago, and is the largest cichlid fish in South America. Adult fish are about 7 cm long, with striking bright yellow body, irregular black spots on the edges of scales, red flowing on the edges of fins, and blue stripes all over the body and fins. Both male and female fish are extremely colorful.

Particularly eye-catching is their beautiful red tail, which presents a beautiful string shape. It is difficult to distinguish between male and female fish. Only when they are in heat or fighting, the abdomen of female fish will show pink, which is charming and unique.

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