Perciformes (perch-likes)
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| Family: Anabantidae Common name: Climbing gouramies Order: Perciformes (perch-likes) Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) Remark: Distribution: Africa and India to Philippines. Fixed conical teeth on jaws, prevomer, and parasphenoid. Relatively large mouth. Upper jaw slighlty protractile. The genus Sandelia has only cycloid scales and a few gill rakers. |
| Family: Cichlidae Common name: Cichlids Order: Perciformes (perch-likes) Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) Remark: Distribution: Central and South America, Texas (1 species), West Indies, Africa, Madagascar, Syria, and coastal India. Some species widely introduced. Body shape quite variable, mostly moderately deep and compressed. A nostril on each side of head. Interrupted lateral line. Scales in lateral lines may be over 100, usually 20-50. Dorsal fin usually with 7-25 spines and 5-30 soft rays. Spines in anal fin 3-15 (generally 3); soft rays 4-15 (a few with 30). Subocular shelf absent. About 80 cm maximum length, in Boulengerochromis microlepis. Colorful cichlids are reared as aquarium fish. Breeding activities highly organized. Parental care in 3 forms: mouthbrooding, substratebrooding, and substratebrooding of eggs then mouthbrooding of young. Species flocks are reported from Africa. |
