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

To investigate, researchers analyzed the DNA of more than 1,300 cichlid fish.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026

Others, including the emperor cichlid, checked out virtually the entire area right away.

From Science Magazine • Apr. 24, 2024

The findings suggest opportunity and versatility matter more than primacy, adds George Turner, an evolutionary biologist and cichlid fish expert at Bangor University who was also not involved.

From Science Magazine • Oct. 4, 2023

Researchers determined that around 16,000 years ago, when the lake refilled, three swamp-dwelling cichlid populations came together, merging their genes to give rise to hybrid fish.

From Science Daily • Sep. 29, 2023

But while studying these variations, they quickly discovered that the invasive Nile Perch was destroying the lake’s cichlid population, bringing hundreds of cichlid species to extinction with devastating rapidity.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022