The Natural Environment of Cichlids.

Loose Rocks, Rocky Shorelines.

A rocky shoreline is the underwater zone of steep, rocky banks, such as found primarily on lakes Tanganyika and Malawi. Such a shoreline is characterized by a big rocks piled on top of each other. . The way the rocks have come to rest creates innumerable caves of various size, into which the cichlids can retreat when they sense danger. This type of littoral zone is the typical habitat of algae eating mouth brooder such as cichlids of genus Tropheus

Sandy Bottom and Muddy Bottom.

Muddy bottoms usually occur at inlets where rivers enters a lake and where floating particles carried by the moving water settle. Here , too, cichlids , such as Triglachromis otostigma, are found.

Shore With and Without Vegetation.

     Shores with dense vegetation and small, shallow bodies of water filled with plant growth also are environment that cichlids have adapted to. Several Pelvicachromis species, for instance, use such regions as a regular habitat and as an area of retreat.

Photo Credits: www.thetropicaltank.co.uk