Native U.S fish vs SA/CA cichlids vs African cichlids
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All 3 guards and protect young. I give the edge to the African Haps they use different ambush methods to catch prey . Nimbochromis Livinstoni will lay on its side on the substrate as if dead and bam prey is caught.
i thought it was only venustus that hunted like that … yea a lot of malawi haps have unique techniques to catch prey
Wherever there is a niche to fill, convergent evolution fills that niche, whether in Asia, Africa or the new world.
In India the snakehead might be the main species that fills that certain predatory niche.
In the rift lakes of Africa it might be Lepidiolamprologus
In South America it may be a Crenichla pike cichlid, in North America or Europe an Esox pike
Or in Cemral America that niche might be filled by and entirely different family of fish like the predatory Gobiomorus
Its interesting to me to see how alike certain niche fillers look, across the globe, though related, or sometime, unrelated.
Those primarily vegetarian species can sometimes superficiously be hard to tell apart.
I have seen photos posted of people asking what type South American Heros severum they have, and it turns to be an Indian Etroplus.
And in Central America that same niche is filled by superficially similar Cincelichtys pearsei or bocourti
or in an isolated evolutionary transition zone between continents in Panama, Isthmoheros tuyrensis
Same goes for sand sifters, with similar mouth structures across the globe.
In Africa n rift lakes, that niche if filled by Fossorochromis and Taeniolethrinops, among others.
In South America by Geophagines
In Central America that niche is filled by Thorichthys and Cribroheros.
But also by an entirely different family, earth eating gobies, and their kin.
From the Mudskippers that range from Africa to Australia, to the Awaous that range from California to mid South America
There are also African rift cichlids that look more like gobies than cichlids.
Gobiocichla and Eretmodus to name just a couple.
Ability to evolve to exploit whatever resources are available is the key.
In India the snakehead might be the main species that fills that certain predatory niche.
In the rift lakes of Africa it might be Lepidiolamprologus
In South America it may be a Crenichla pike cichlid, in North America or Europe an Esox pike
Or in Cemral America that niche might be filled by and entirely different family of fish like the predatory Gobiomorus
Its interesting to me to see how alike certain niche fillers look, across the globe, though related, or sometime, unrelated.
Those primarily vegetarian species can sometimes superficiously be hard to tell apart.
I have seen photos posted of people asking what type South American Heros severum they have, and it turns to be an Indian Etroplus.
And in Central America that same niche is filled by superficially similar Cincelichtys pearsei or bocourti
or in an isolated evolutionary transition zone between continents in Panama, Isthmoheros tuyrensis
Same goes for sand sifters, with similar mouth structures across the globe.
In Africa n rift lakes, that niche if filled by Fossorochromis and Taeniolethrinops, among others.
In South America by Geophagines
In Central America that niche is filled by Thorichthys and Cribroheros.
But also by an entirely different family, earth eating gobies, and their kin.
From the Mudskippers that range from Africa to Australia, to the Awaous that range from California to mid South America
There are also African rift cichlids that look more like gobies than cichlids.
Gobiocichla and Eretmodus to name just a couple.
Ability to evolve to exploit whatever resources are available is the key.
W comment… Very informative and interesting. Ive noticed that too that certain species share physical characteristics regardless of what continent they are from. Their appearance can give some clues on if they are a predator, sand sifter, herbivore, or just ancient. like the bowfin bichir, & Australian lung fish have been around as a species for such a long time they just have that unique prehistoric look.