Editing Cichlid (section)

==Anatomy and appearance==
Cichlids span a wide range of body sizes, from species as small as {{convert|2.5|cm|in|0|abbr=on}} in length (e.g., female ''[[Neolamprologus multifasciatus]]'') to much larger species approaching {{convert|1|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in length (''[[Boulengerochromis]]'' and ''[[Cichla]]''). As a group, cichlids exhibit a similar diversity of body shapes, ranging from strongly laterally compressed species (such as ''[[Altolamprologus]]'', ''[[Pterophyllum]]'', and ''[[Symphysodon]]'') to species that are cylindrical and highly elongated (such as ''[[Julidochromis]]'', ''[[Teleogramma]]'', ''[[Teleocichla]]'', ''[[Crenicichla]]'', and ''[[Gobiocichla]]'').<ref name="Loiselle">{{cite book |last = Loiselle |first = P.V. |year = 1994 |title = The Cichlid Aquarium |publisher = Tetra Press |isbn = 978-1-56465-146-4}}</ref> Generally, however, cichlids tend to be of medium size, ovate in shape, and slightly laterally compressed, and generally similar to the North American [[Centrarchidae|sunfishes]] in morphology, behavior, and ecology.<ref name="Helfman">{{cite book|author1=Helfman G. |author2=Collette B. |author3=Facey D. |title = The Diversity of Fishes|publisher = Blackwell Publishing, Inc.|pages = 256–257| year = 1997| isbn= 978-0-86542-256-8}}</ref>

Cichlids share a single key trait - the fusion of the lower [[pharyngeal teeth|pharyngeal bones]] into a single tooth-bearing structure. A complex set of muscles allows the upper and lower pharyngeal bones to be used as a second set of jaws for processing food, allowing a division of labor between the [[Oral jaw|"true jaws"]] ([[mandible]]s) and the "[[pharyngeal jaws]]". Cichlids are efficient and often highly specialized feeders that capture and process a very wide variety of food items. This is assumed to be one reason why they are so diverse.<ref name="Loiselle"/>