cichlid

American  

[sik-lid] / ˈsɪk lɪd /

Also cichloid

noun

1. any of the spiny-rayed, freshwater fishes constituting the family Cichlidae, of South America, Africa, and southern Asia, superficially resembling the American sunfishes and popular in home aquariums.

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adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the family Cichlidae.

cichlid British  

/ ˈsɪklɪd /

noun

1. any tropical freshwater percoid fish of the family Cichlidae, which includes the mouthbrooders. Cichlids are popular aquarium fishes

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Cichlidae

Other Word Forms

• cichloid adjective

Etymology

Origin of cichlid

1880–85; < New Latin Cichlidae, equivalent to Cichl ( a ) a genus (< Greek kíchlē thrush, wrasse) + -idae -id ²

Example Sentences

Seeking an answer, the research team from the Graduate School of Science at Osaka Metropolitan University took a look at a rather taciturn animal: fish, more specifically, Neolamprologus savoryi, a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish.

From Science Daily

"When the cichlids were young, they had this huge plasticity and were able to alter their physiology in order to cope with the turbid environmental conditions," Tiarks said.

From Science Daily

For a total of nine months, first author Dr. Carolin Sommer-Trembo recorded the "exploratory behavior" of 57 different cichlid species at the Southern shore of Lake Tanganyika in Zambia.

From Science Daily

Some cichlids specialize in eating plankton; others live on aquatic plants, eggs, invertebrates, and even other fish.

From Science Magazine

Although several kinds of fish colonized this lake around the same time, only cichlids took off, forming 500 species in less than 17,000 years, the team reports today in Nature.

From Science Magazine