Characins also include several species of piranha, 12-14 inch long fish that inhabit the Amazon and its tributaries. These silvery blue fish live in schools, and they have extremely sharp teeth which give a savage bite. A large school of piranha can even kill a large mammal. Cichlids Related to perches, mackerel and tuna, the cichlids are a family of tropical freshwater fish that live in Central and South America as well as in Africa. They include Tilapia, the largest group of African cichlids, as well as the beautiful discuses, an Amazon dwelling family and the Pseudotropheus cichlids of Lake Malawi.
Most cichlids build nests for their young, but some species carry the eggs in their mouths.
Cichlids are popular aquarium fish. Cyprinodontids These small fish are found in warm freshwaters, and include several families common in rainforest rivers. Guppies and Mollies. The guppy shown here is Poecilia reticulata from the north Amazon region. This fish has been introduced elsewhere to control mosquito larvae, and it is also a well-known aquarium fish.