By Martin Geerts, 1993. Boulengerochromis microlepsis , the largest known cichlid, might also be the most primitive in Lake Tanganyika. Photo by Martin Geerts .
Cichlids derive their popularity mainly from the care they bestow on their offspring.
The brood care technique is not similar in all cichlids. There are substrate brooders, cave brooders, pit brooders, and mouth brooders. The most advanced form of brood care, livebearing, is not found in any cichlid species. It appears that this author sees the cichlids on an evolutionary trajectory, which starts at substrate brooding and ends at livebearing. It is reasonable to assume that further improvements in brood care can only increase the success of cichlids.