The Cichlid Fishes: Nature's Grand Experiment in Evolution

The Cichlid fishes are one of the most diverse groups of animals in the world, this is partially an artifact of their distribution in rift lakes. This isolation in a diverse environment has led them to evolve to fill a myriad of ecological niches. They are also one of the most popular groups of aquarium fishes and their behavior and diversity is of interest to a large number of people. That is why this book, a scientific treatment of their behavior can be produced for a larger audience. As such this is perhaps the best book, available to the lay reader, on fish behavior.George Barlow is (was) a fish behaviorist at UC Berkeley. In this volume he explains the complex behaviors of mate selection, territoriality, feeding, and the rearing of offspring in this well studied group. He also discusses their diversity and, sadly, has to address their conservation (as the their home is being lost to several environmental factors). This book is interesting and well written. However, it is probably only of interest to the most serious cichlid hobbyist, or persons with a special interest in fish behavior in general.

The first thing that needs to be said about this book is that it is NOT a book about keeping cichlids in aquariums. I think that is a misconception some people may get since cichlids are such popular aquarium subjects. If you're looking for information on cichlids in the aquarium, you need to hunt down books by Paul Loiselle or Ad Konings. This is a book about evolutionary science.The cichlids are really the animal darlings of the evolution field in the same sense that the Galapagos Islands are the geographical Mecca. This book focuses on cichlids from the African Great Lakes: Malawi., Victoria, and Tanganyika. The populations in these lakes have been isolated and thus present a wonderful living experiment in evolution and speciation. The New World members of Cichlidae aren't forgotten - there's plenty of examples from them too.The text doesn't delve too deeply into scientific theory. It's still a relatively easy read for the layperson. Its aim is to explain why the cichlids fascinate biologists and evolutionists - without getting overly technical. It achieves that goal admirably.The bibliography is worth the cover price. There are 23 pages of small-print references and a numerical guide to citations by chapter.If you're an aquarist with an interest in the science behind the fish, a scientist with little experience with fish or evolution, or a "normal" person wondering what all the fuss is about, this is a good choice.

Clear, understandable and enjoyable, Mr Barlow's book helped me gain much insight about the evolutionary aspects of cichlid behaviours. Some of the cited examples for behavioral patterns are really spectacular! Male C. nicaraguense cichlids protecting the young of a foreign species, C. dovi, a large predatory cichlid species in Lake Nicaragua... I have never heard of something like that among fish. And the reasoning behind this behavior in the evolutionary sense... Or catfish raising the babies of cichlids in Malawi lake... It is always a new surprise to me to see once again how inventive the evolution is.This is the kind of book I like most; based on scientific facts but written in a reader friendly manner, fully understandable and enjoyable. Thanks to spectacular examples and their clear explanations, very interesting too...

You've got to love a U.C. Berkeley professor who quotes from the AP wire to reinforce the difference between soft-rayed and spiny-rayed fish: "... when I read the headline to an article in ... the San Francisco Chronicle (1 April 1997), I knew both it was not an April Fool's Day joke and that the fish was most likely a cichlid, and it was. Man Chokes on Tropical FishBayou Visa, La. Stephen Hill Epperson, 36, popped a friend's 6-inch tropical fish into his mouth as a joke Sunday and died when it got stuck in his throat. The Jack Dempsey fish became wedged in Epperson's airway, said Dr. F.H. Metz, coroner for St. Mary Parish.The Jack Dempsey is indeed a cichlid and performed the typical response of a spiny-rayed fish when engulfed by a predator: It locked its fine spines in the upright position to thwart being swallowed. Had the fish been a soft-rayed fish, such as the goldfish that have so often been safely gulped down by college students, the unfortunate Mr. Epperson would still be alive." Cichlids are freshwater fish that provide parental care for their children. They are among the most intelligent of fish. Among the thousands of species of cichlids, it is possible to find behavior that is familiar to students of human psychology. There are cichlid fathers that stay with the wife and kids when times are tough but desert to find a new mate if predation levels are low enough that the female and his offspring by her can survive on their own (cf. American ghetto life after Aid to Families with Dependent Children). If you decide to skim the book, make sure to read the last chapter carefully. It contains some important ideas about human impact on ecology.

As a "liberal arts type", I seldom read books on science - but once started on this one, I could hardly bring myself to put it down. It is a joy from beginning to end. Barlow's knowledge of cichlids is vast and he shares it with us in a clear and readable way. You'll be fascinated as you learn about these little creatures who can change their sex overnight, who feed with an amazingly complex arrangement of jaws and teeth, and whose parenting skills should be the envy of us humans. The writing style is warm and personal and reveals the author's wonderful sense of humor and lifelong enthusiasm for his subject.