Aulonocara, Haplochromis, Labeotropheus and Pseudotropheus
Perciformes
Cichlidae
No information available
No information available
Omnivorous. Fruits make up half of their diet, although they also feed on leaves, bark and stems. They also eat termites, birds, eggs and chickens, and occasionally small mammals.
From 10 to 20 years
There is a great variety of cichlids, even today new species continue to be discovered, so it is difficult to know an exact number. There is also a wide variety in their body size and shape. They usually have similar characteristics in size and shape depending on the ecosystem they inhabit, but all species have a common characteristic: they have a pair of pharyngeal jaws that help the oral jaws in their work. Due to this characteristic, they can capture and process a wide variety of foods.
Something that stands out in these fish is parental care. There are cichlids that incubate their eggs in their mouths so that, upon birth, the little ones leave the mouth of the adult to feed, returning to it if they feel threatened. They will remain in the adult's mouth until they are of adequate size to survive.
They fulfill a fundamental function in the waters of BIOPARC Fuengirola since they feed on algae and small cells, keeping them clean and crystalline. Thanks to them, at BIOPARC no chemical products are used in water maintenance.
