Editing Cichlid (section)

==Food and game fish==
Although cichlids are mostly small- to medium-sized, many are notable as food and game fishes. With few thick rib bones and tasty flesh, [[artisan fishing]] is not uncommon in Central America and South America, as well as areas surrounding the African [[Rift Valley lakes|rift lakes]].<ref name="Barlow2000">{{cite book|last=Barlow|first=G. W.|year=2000|title=The Cichlid Fishes|publisher=Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing|isbn=978-0-7382-0376-8|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/cichlidfishesnat00geor_0}}</ref>

===Tilapia===
The most important food cichlids, however, are the [[tilapiine]]s of North Africa. Fast growing, tolerant of stocking density, and adaptable, tilapiine species have been introduced and farmed extensively in many parts of Asia and are increasingly common [[aquaculture]] targets elsewhere.

Farmed tilapia production is about {{convert|1500000|t|ST|abbr=off}} annually, with an estimated value of US$1.8 billion,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Silva |first1=Sena S. De |last2=Nations |first2=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United |title=Tilapias as Alien Aquatics in Asia and the Pacific: A Review |date=2004 |publisher=Food & Agriculture Org. |isbn=978-92-5-105227-3 }}{{page needed|date=November 2020}}</ref> about equal to that of [[salmon]] and [[trout]].

Unlike those carnivorous fish, tilapia can feed on [[algae]] or any plant-based food. This reduces the cost of tilapia farming, reduces fishing pressure on prey species, avoids concentrating toxins that accumulate at higher levels of the [[food chain]], and makes tilapia the preferred "aquatic chickens" of the trade.<ref name="Barlow2000"/>

===Game fish===
Many large cichlids are popular game fish. The [[peacock bass]] (''[[Cichla]]'' species) of South America is one of the most popular [[sport fishing|sportfish]]. It was introduced in many waters around the world.{{Where|date=October 2014}} In [[Florida]], this fish generates millions of hours of fishing and sportfishing revenue of more than US$8 million a year.<ref name="floridafisheries">{{cite web|url=http://floridafisheries.com/fishes/non-native.html|title=Fact Exotic Freshwater Fishes|author=Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission|access-date=18 March 2007}}</ref> Other cichlids preferred by anglers include the [[oscar (fish)|oscar]], [[Mayan cichlid]] (''Cichlasoma urophthalmus''), and [[Parachromis managuensis|jaguar cichlid]] (''Parachromis managuensis'').<ref name="floridafisheries"/>