Lateral Line August 2005.pub - Hill Country Cichlid Club

The Lateral Line Page 10Species Profiles:Welcome to the New WorldOriginally published in the March 2005 publicationUnderWater, The Official Newsletter ofthe Iowa Aquaria Association. The Hill CountryCichlid Club has a newsletter exchangewith the Iowa Aquaria Association in whichvarious articleshave been exchangedbetweenus.height, I have often thought about ways totransfer my knowledge of these species on tomy fellow enthusiasts. I believe I could havegarnered the greatest benefit concerning NewWorld cichlids if my entry into the hobby hadbeen supplemented by holisticarticles that focused uponsimple descriptions and depictionsof various species.What seems likenot all that manyyears ago, I beganmy journey into thecichlid keepinghobby with a determinedmind and azeal for soaking up as much cichlid-keepingknowledge as my brain would allow. Fortunately,those same states still exist within metoday, driving my desire for more aqua experiencesand a greater understanding of the cichlidworld. I have found that this hobby gives methe greatest satisfactionwhen it brings mein contact with newhobbyists and cichlidveterans alike, eachwith a desire to explorethe New Worldspecies. With my fascinationof the Centraland South Americancichlid monsters at itsPhoto by Brad HansenPhoto by Ryan HarkemaI must admit that my personalaffinity lies with themonsters of Central andSouth America. This articlewill serve as a skeletal viewfor those cichlid hobbyistswho wish to learn more aboutthe entire New World cichlid domain, as Ionce did, rather than a specific species or genera.The fish listed within the following chartare the more common, aggressive, and/or largerspecies found within the New Worldscene. There are many other species of fishwithin this diversegeographical regionnot mentioned inthis article.Several generalizationscan be madeabout the monstersof Central and SouthAmerica:1) They are sub-