# Cichlid Trivia



## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

Do you have any trivia about cichlids that you want to share? You ca post it here ^^, I have one, I saw this while I'm browsing about chichlids.

Do you know that...

The Livingtonii Cichlid Nimbochromis livingstonii from Lake Malawi in Africa has an unusual behavior! It will "play dead" on the bottom of the aquarium, lying on its side for long periods of time. When smaller fish approach as if to nibble at the dead carcass, they are captured with a lightning quick lunge! From this behavior originated the German name for these fish, the " Sleeper". These tricksy fish are definitely predators!


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I've seen that in my tanks.

Did you know that nicaraguense will spawn as a group caring for all of the fry collectively? Here's the catch, one of the largest predatory cichlids in the world spawns right next to them at the same time. It does not eat the much smaller nics because the nics will actually care for their fry too! In return, the huge cichlid helps to defend the entire spawn site!

Can you name the cichlid?


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

> Can you name the cichlid?


Yes, I can.

Did you know that _Pelvicachromis taeniatus _will actively seek out siblings to breed with, rather than breed with unrelated individuals of the same species? Maybe they should be renamed "the Hillbilly Krib". :lol:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Isn't trivia supposed to have questions?


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

That would be a trivia quiz. I think CC just wants to post some odd stuff that others may not be aware of, since we have so many novice hobbyists visiting these forums.

Besides, I answered your question as asked.  :lol: I am aware of the symbiotic relationship between Nics and _P. dovii_. They even have very similarly patterned fry, which I found out the hard way a year or two back; bought a bag of dovii and a bag of nic fry, put them in different tanks, and a couple of weeks later when they got bigger I realized that the person who sold them had labeled the bags backwards


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## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

I think a question and answer is a lot more fun! 

I found another trivia:

This cichlid is the northernmost cichlid and is the only cichlid native to North American waters. Can you guess what type of cichlid is this?


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Yep, herichthys cyanoguttatum. The texas cichlid.

What cichlid was introduced to floridas waters purposely and for what reason?


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

CoolCichlid said:


> the only cichlid native to North American waters.


 Yes, Herichthys cyanoguttatus is the cichlid, naturally occurying, that is found the farthest north. Althoughit it is found mostly in Mexico, it is the only Cichlid native to the United states.

But North America is a continent. Many, many cichlids are found in North America. The seperation between the continents of North and South America is aproximately the Panama canal, not the U.S.---Mexican border. The border is a political division, not a seperation of continents. The U.S. ---Mexican border has not always existed, and has changed over time. It is a seperation of nation states and has absolutely nothing to do with where the continent of North America begins.


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## AnnaFish (Aug 9, 2006)

Introduced to Florida lakes by Auburn University researchers in 1961, the Blue Tilapia, Oreochromis aureus, was meant to serve as a biological control of aquatic weeds.

It did not work.

(I wrote a paper on this subject.)

Edit: I had seven people talking to me at once when I tried to type this and accidentally spelled auratus instead of aureus. People kept shouting "are you gonna eat with us?" == areatus == auratus


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

AnnaFish said:


> Introduced to Florida lakes by Auburn University researchers in 1961, the Blue Tilapia, Oreochromis auratus, was meant to serve as a biological control of aquatic weeds.
> 
> It did not work.
> 
> (I wrote a paper on this subject.)


Oreochromis aureus. True enough, though I would think it would really be more unintentional rather then on 'purpose'.

Introduced on purpose for an experiment. It was being tested as a potential game fish and for weed control. The experiment concluded that the fish was a 'failure' and eradicated the experimental populations. The unintentional part is that because the fish was hyped as a super sport fish, the public gained access to the experimental population before the experiment was over, and spread it to other bodies of water.

The only legally introduced cichlid in Florida is the Peacock cichlid for sport fishing purposes. A cross between Cichla ocellaris and C. temensis was stocked in some parts of Florida in the 1980's.


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## AnnaFish (Aug 9, 2006)

I didn't know about the accidental spread of the experiment population. My paper (an assignment, not to he confused with anything scientific, as I am nothing of the sort) was more to do with blue tilapia populations in relation to bass populations. In one lake. Anyway, when the fish was first introduced, it was known popularly, and erroniously as Nile perch. Which is actually a very different fish. Still, I remember spear fishing for "Nile perch" with my grandfather when I was in grade school.

I actually have a question about A. Calvus -- the answer could be trivia:

Is it at all possible that Calvus (at least young calvus) have a degree of chameleonic tendencies? After taking over 200 photos of them last night, I realized they tended to flood their black pigment when near dark object, and flush it when over the holey rock...


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

AnnaFish said:


> Is it at all possible that Calvus (at least young calvus) have a degree of chameleonic tendencies? After taking over 200 photos of them last night, I realized they tended to flood their black pigment when near dark object, and flush it when over the holey rock...


Many many cichlids do this  My black calvus are very bold and always out in the open... Hanging with the frontosa! LOL

And the peacock bass was the answer I was looking for! They are a cichlid eater, much like dovii... 
I don't think that plan worked either! LOL


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## AnnaFish (Aug 9, 2006)

Partly in an attempt to make farming of this fish more popular to the public, the term "Aquatic Chicken" refers to what cichlid?

Bonus honor points to whoever doesn't just google "Aquatic Chicken."


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Ok. I'll guess Tilapia...


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## AnnaFish (Aug 9, 2006)

Oreochromis niloticus. (And aureus)

Yeah. That's all I got. I don't know no trivia.

Except another obvious one --

What species of cichlid provides food for their young as late as the fry stage and by what means?


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

AnnaFish said:


> What species of cichlid provides food for their young as late as the fry stage and by what means?


Discus. The fry feed off of the parent's body slime.

There are also some reports that the convict cichlid will sometimes do the same, though I have never seen it myself. Just speculating, but I supose if there was a lack of food, feeding fry with body mucos might be an option for more then just one species of cichlid.

Trivia question: There is only one known case of a cichlid cross betwwen a mouthbrooder and a substrate spawner. Name the species that were crosssed.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

> There are also some reports that the convict cichlid will sometimes do the same, though I have never seen it myself. Just speculating, but I supose if there was a lack of food, feeding fry with body mucos might be an option for more then just one species of cichlid.


I've seen it on hatiensis and convicts and midas... To the point where it was causing damage to the parents...


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## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

TheFishGuy said:


> > There are also some reports that the convict cichlid will sometimes do the same, though I have never seen it myself. Just speculating, but I supose if there was a lack of food, feeding fry with body mucos might be an option for more then just one species of cichlid.
> 
> 
> I've seen it on hatiensis and convicts and midas... To the point where it was causing damage to the parents...


Causing damage? How?


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

By literally making the parents bleed and have sores all over from being eaten alive.


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## AnnaFish (Aug 9, 2006)

I think the discus are adapted to secrete more during this time. In an aquarium environment, fry are often malnourished because the phyto and zooplankton they might have consumed in the wild are largely absent. So if fry that don't normally need to feed on slime begin to, they may not stop!


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Very true, when things spawn here I wait till fry are free swimming then pull 2/3 of the fry and raise them on deencapsulated brine shrimp. Mimicing the zooplankton they miss out on... The fry with the parents seem to grow a little slower believe it or not... I have pulled eggs on occasion but do not like to. I pulled oscar eggs a couple weeks ago, and jaguar eggs too. The jags just went free swimming... anyone in need of 1000 fry LoL


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## BigJagLover (Oct 25, 2006)

Ok i'll bite, What is the largest cichlid in the world?


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

By largest do you mean longest or heaviest? Since they are different and 'largest' leads to many many arguements as to the merits of each or which one largest means.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Ugh, there's a whole nother thread on largest...

Dovii
Emporer
Peacock bass
Umbee
Tilapia

Take your pick, everyone has an argumant for each one it seems! LOL


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## kingdave (Mar 9, 2007)

CoolCichlid said:


> Do you know that...
> 
> The Livingtonii Cichlid Nimbochromis livingstonii from Lake Malawi in Africa has an unusual behavior! It will "play dead" on the bottom of the aquarium, lying on its side for long periods of time. When smaller fish approach as if to nibble at the dead carcass, they are captured with a lightning quick lunge! From this behavior originated the German name for these fish, the " Sleeper". These tricksy fish are definitely predators!


I saw one my Nimbochromis Venustus doing that on the bottom a few days after introducing to my 90 gallon tank. At first I thought it was dead, then saw it move slightly and realized that it was exhibiting the behavior you mention. I came back a few hours later to check on things again and realized that it wasn't playing... it was actually dead. Must have been the water currents moving the carcass slightly. So, in my case, the fish wasn't pretending to be "dead"... it was pretending to be "alive".


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

bernie comeau said:


> Trivia question: There is only one known case of a cichlid cross betwwen a mouthbrooder and a substrate spawner. Name the species that were crosssed.


Nobody answered this one. I wanna know the answer, its interesting.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

My guess on that one is severums...


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## FedEXguy (Feb 24, 2005)

bernie comeau said:


> Trivia question: There is only one known case of a cichlid cross betwwen a mouthbrooder and a substrate spawner. Name the species that were crosssed.


Convicts and my vacuum hose?


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

TheFishGuy said:


> My guess on that one is severums...


That's a good guess. Probably possible, and may have happenned. But I would think that a delayed mouth brooder would still be considered a substrate spawner, as the eggs are still layed adhering to a rock.

Tilapia zilli X Oreochromis mosambicus. This was done way back in the '60's and actually shocked and suprised the great ichthyologist, Ethelwynn Trewavas, that such a cross was even possible.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Eh... Delayed mouth brooder, mouth brooder... What's the difference... LOL J/K........ :lol:


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## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

In the region of Manaus, Brazil the local fishermen refer to this distinct cichlid species as "Papagai" what cichlid are they referring to?


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

Hoplarchus psittacus - the 'true' parrot cichlid. 'Papagei' means parrot not only in Portugese (which wouldn't have helped me) but also in German :thumb:

Name at least one of two species of cichlids that have recently been genetically manipulated in Asia to become the first fluorescent (glow-in-the-dark) cichlids that are expected to appear in pet stores in 2012


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

I want a glow in the dark Dovii :lol:

But it's proberly not one of the two

All right I lied, I don't wanna own any kinda GMO pet, Cichlid or not!

It's convicts and angelfish


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

Pali said:


> It's convicts and angelfish


Sad as it is, that is the correct answer 

I think Pali has to ask the next trivia question!


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Darn did'nt see that one comeing

Well all right.

Whats the current name of the new Aulonocara species, that was just discovered days ago in Lake Malawi?


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## CoolCichlid (Feb 12, 2010)

That's a tough one!


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Too hard ????

A little help then, it was discovered by Gissel and another guy, I read about it on november the 6th.


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

From the way it is phrased, that would be considered a trick question, as a "newly discovered species" could not concievably have a name. A description would take several months to write at the very least, and usually several more to be published, therefore it cannot yet have a name if it was just discovered within the last month - or three. It could have a location designator as an undescribed species, or it could be a new population of a known species.

Also, when you read about it is not relevant to how new it is. Unless you were reading a travel blog done by "Gissel and another guy", there is no telling when they actually found the new fish. A report by another party would be second hand and likely to take some time after the discovery to be written/posted. So stating that it was "discovered within the last few days" could also be quite misleading.

Your question is basically equivalent to me asking, "What new blue spotted Cichlid did I read about recently?" Not exactly a well phrased question if you really want an answer.


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## Manoah Marton (Feb 17, 2009)

You know, I really thought that the above post was a little harsh, so I thought I'd save the questioniers rep. and get an answer. FAIL! Your absolutly right Chromedome52. It's just too hard, Pali, to give you an answer for that question. Like already stated, it takes time to give the fish it's scientific name, and even longer if that's going to be available to the public. 
Out of curiosity, Pali, how do you actually know? :lol: (your not that 'other guy' by any chance...are you?  :lol: :lol: )


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Thats why I phrased it the current name, as it takes time to get the scientific name and all that done. And I would have asked for that, if it was the scientific name we where looking for.

Im not that other guy, I got it from Wildcichlids.com the site of the guys who are at the malawi lake now or how to put it. So it's not a travel blog, but still reason to belive it's found one of the days before if not the same day as it was posted.

I was'nt trying to setup a trick question, the site is in Danish, English and German so the info is there on 3 diffrent languages. So I figured, that I maybe was'nt the only one who stoped by that place once in a while, this is a big place and there are alot of people.

As Gissel have done this for quite some time, it's not his first time finding new species. I belive he knows enough about what he's doing, not to have it anounce unless he are shure it's a new species.

Aulonocara sp. Yellow Neon is the current name


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## Manoah Marton (Feb 17, 2009)




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## ebjdftw (Aug 24, 2010)

I think Pali gets to be Cichlid King for a day


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## Manoah Marton (Feb 17, 2009)

*low bow*


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Do I have to ask a new question then ?????

If so - here is another geekish question.

What is the name of the gland/organ in most fish that Epsom salt (MgSO4) stimulate?

(from my knowlege all cichlids have this gland/organ, but I could easy be wrong)

Bonus question what do this gland do, when stimulated with Epsom salt (MgSO4)


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## jameswilliam (Nov 17, 2010)

It was a great idea and I and others I am sure had fun. I learned a lot about the type of cichlids and how little new. I look to the future to come Trivias, and the fun is gone.


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## fmueller (Jan 11, 2004)

jameswilliam said:


> I look to the future to come Trivias, and the fun is gone.


As far as I am concerned, I am starting to enjoy this thread. What fun is there if the questions are so easy that everybody can answer them in under one minute by using Google? I hadn't heard about the Aulonocara sp. 'Yellow Neon', and I am not much into peacocks, but I think it's great that Pali told us where he got the info. I will certainly keep that site in mind for future reference.

If anybody is interested, I read about the fluorescent angelfish and convicts in the latest issue of DCG Informationen - unfortunately only available in German, but I was wondering if other organizations had reported about the issue as well.

Generally I think one of the biggest assets of CF is its huge membership base including people from all walks of life and all over the globe. What some of us consider to be common knowledge might come as a complete surprise to others. For example I think despite the internet there are still a huge differences between people's approach to the hobby in the US, Europe, and other parts of the world. Nobody has it all right or all wrong, but the more information we exchange the better :thumb:

Now let's hope somebody other than Pali knows about that wretched Epsom Salt Gland


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

I read about the flourescent cichlids in a english article Here

Hope it was'nt me alone who took the fun away with my questions :-?

Cheers


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## demonsoni (Feb 10, 2006)

Your last question left me puzzled and curious. That's fun to me.


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## ebjdftw (Aug 24, 2010)

demonsoni said:


> Your last question left me puzzled and curious. That's fun to me.


+1


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Pali said:


> What is the name of the gland/organ in most fish that Epsom salt (MgSO4) stimulate?
> 
> Bonus question what do this gland do, when stimulated with Epsom salt (MgSO4)


Hi Pali,

I will take a stab at you trivia question; of course I am not sure if I am correct but will explain my logic.

*Answer: The mucous glands*

I believe the mucous glands is the answer because these are the glands that produce a slim coat with is used to protect scales, or in the case of Discus and Uaru, to feed newly free swimming fry.

As I commonly use salt as a general tonic to heal wounds on my cichlids, and I believe it is helpful because it produces additional slime coat, I would think that the use of Epson salt is causing the mucous glands to produce additional slime coat (mucous membrane). Therefore, by using the bonus question I back tracked to the mucous glands.

*Bonus Answer: When the mucous glands are stimulated with Epson salt they produce additional slime coat.*

Again, I am not a scientist and I am just deriving this answer from my personal experience with keeping cichlids. So am I right Pali?

If Pali confims I am correct, I will try and come up with a trivia question to keep this thread going.

Thanks,
Matt


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

mlancaster said:


> Hi Pali,
> 
> I will take a stab at you trivia question; of course I am not sure if I am correct but will explain my logic.
> 
> ...


*@mlancaster*

Funny thing that was not the awnser I was looking for, but I had to read a few reports on mucous glands before I was gonna reply. As you are right, it also effects the mucous glands.

Epsom Salt (MgSO4) have a effect on the Mucus glands, the Sulfate in Epsom salt is related to the glycoproteins in the mucous cells.

Glycoproteins is part if the slime coat, the sulphat in the glycoproteins is one of the main components in the mucous thats protecting it against bacterial degradation.

I was looking for this awnser:

*The Pancreas *

Bonus awnser: *The magnesium (Mg) in Epsom salt (MgSO4) stimulates the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes.*

Just for a notice, I am not yet a scientist. I just have a big interrest in chemestry, medicin and bioligy. Im shure I'll get there some day in the future, for now most of the stuff I get from scientific papers I find online.


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi *Pali*,

Thank you for the incite, I felt I was stretching it with the mucous gland. Here is another trivia question.

*What patriotic fish was originally mistaken for a cichlid?*

Thanks,
Matt


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

mlancaster said:


> *What patriotic fish was originally mistaken for a cichlid?*


Hint: the "patriotic" fish in the question above is "patriotic" towards the United States of America the most norther region the fish is native to.

Thanks,
Matt


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## adam79 (Jun 27, 2007)

Jordanella floridae? I wasn't aware that it was mistaken as a cichlid, but it's common name gave away the answer. If correct.


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi *adam79*,

You are correct; Jordanella floridae is the answer.

"Due to its spawning behaviour, it was originally classed as a cichlid, then as a species of sunfish." www.seriouslyfish.com

Thanks,
Matt


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

_Jordanella floridae _has never been "classed" as a cichlid or a sunfish, that statement is completely and utterly false. Perhaps the author was trying to be overly dramatic, but he/she went well beyond acceptable by making such a statement. It has been compared to cichlids and sunfish due to it's reproductive method, but it has never been classified as anything other than a killifish.

That is what you get from grabbing one bit of information from a single website without doing any sort of verification of the facts. :roll:


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi *Chromedome52*,

My apologies, I did not review/analyze the authors quote prior to posting. Based on discussions with other aquarist and what I have read on the internet and in books, I believed it was common knowledge that prior to official classification of Jordanella floridae there was speculation that it could be a cichlid or sunfish.

The authorÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s use of "classed" is incorrect, as it has always been classified as a killifish.

Thank you for the clarification and again I apologize for the poor internet quote, I was just trying to keep the trivia thread interesting.

Thanks,
Matt


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

> I was just trying to keep the trivia thread interesting.


Here's one for you, then: What species of Cichlid has been shown in studies to prefer siblings for breeding over unrelated individuals? And don't say the Hillbilly Cichlid! :lol:


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## mlancaster (Jul 24, 2009)

Chromedome52 said:


> Here's one for you, then: What species of Cichlid has been shown in studies to prefer siblings for breeding over unrelated individuals?


I had not contemplated that some cichlid species would prefer mating with kin over non-kin.

However, due to your question I read a few studies published on the internet related to this. Of the studies I read, it appears that _Pelvicachromis taeniatus_ prefers to mate with kin over non-kin.

Interesting information. If you have any additional trivia please post it; similarly, I will try to rack my brain for some interesting cichlid trivia.

Thanks,
Matt


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

Almost forgot, I'm supposed to verify that, yes, that is correct. _Pv. taeniatus_, given a choice, will breed with siblings rather than unrelated individuals.


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