Cichlidae
Chisumulu pearl
Labidochromis flavigulis
FISH SPECIES
African Fish
Discover fish with recorded distributions in Africa, across inland lakes, ancient river systems and coastal waters.
FISH ATLAS / FIELD GUIDEAfrican FishIN THIS CHAPTER01 / Characteristics02 / Lifestyle03 / Species04 / Field notes
SCROLL
01 / NATURAL HISTORY
Characteristics
African ichthyofauna is famous for the rapid adaptive radiation of Rift Lake cichlids alongside archaic, relic lineages like lungfish and bichirs. These species demonstrate remarkable evolutionary resilience across dramatic tropical dry and wet cycles.
- 01Rift lake cichlid radiations
- 02Ancient river basin lineages
- 03Extreme drought adaptations
02 / LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle
In the Great Rift Valley lakes (Victoria, Tanganyika, and Malawi), hundreds of cichlid species partition microscopic spatial zones—from rock-scraping mbuna to shell-dwelling dwarfs and scale-eating specialists. In contrast, riverine species navigating the Congo and Nile systems endure massive seasonal water level drops, with some surviving dry periods through aestivation or facultative air-breathing.
OBSERVATION INDEX
- Rift lake micro-niche partitioning
- Substrate scraping and brood defense
- Floodplain and dry-season aestivation
03 / SPECIES
Representative species
Discover representative species illustrating the ecological diversity, morphologies and adaptations of this group.
Chisumulu pearl
Cichlidae
Chitande Aulonocara
Aulonocara ethelwynnae
Cichlidae
Chizumulu Aulonocara
Aulonocara korneliae
Amphiliidae
Chobe sand catlet
Zaireichthys dorae
Epinephelidae
chocolate hind
Cephalopholis boenak
Gobiidae
Chocolate Shrimp-goby
Cryptocentrus malindiensis
Acanthuridae
chocolate surgeonfish
Acanthurus pyroferus
Rhinobatidae
Chola guitarfish
Pseudobatos percellens
Labridae
Christmas wrasse
Thalassoma trilobatum
Nothobranchiidae
Christy's Lyretail
Aphyosemion christyi
Cichlidae
Chromo Victoria Cichlid
Haplochromis chromogynos
Pomacentridae
Chrysiptera unimaculata
Similiparma hermani
Scombridae
chub mackerel
Scomber japonicus
Gobiesocidae
Chubby clingfish
Apletodon pellegrini
Cyprinidae
Chubbyhead barb
Enteromius anoplus
Pempheridae
Chumbe sweeper
Pempheris smithorum
Mormyridae
Churchill
Petrocephalus catostoma
Cichlidae
Cichlid
Astatotilapia tweddlei
Cichlidae
Cichlid
Haplochromis antleter
Cichlidae
Cichlid
Haplochromis barbarae
Cichlidae
Cichlid
Haplochromis bwathondii
Cichlidae
Cichlid
Haplochromis chilotes
Cichlidae
Cichlid
Haplochromis labiatus
Cichlidae
Cichlid
Haplochromis latifasciatus
04 / FIELD NOTES
A closer look
Why are African Rift Lake cichlids famous in evolutionary biology?
The Great Lakes of East Africa witnessed explosive evolutionary radiations where a few ancestral species diverged into hundreds of ecologically specialized species in remarkably short geologic time spans.
How do African freshwater fish survive seasonal droughts?
Certain species, like the African lungfish, can burrow into muddy riverbeds and secrete a protective mucous cocoon to aestivate for months until rains restore the waterway.