Dwarf cichlid

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The dwarf cichlid is a group of freshwater fish of the cichlid family and includes many small species from South America and riverine West Africa, particularly those suitable for the planted aquarium. Most dwarf cichlids do not grow larger than 10 cm.

South American cichlids from a number of genera are commonly considered dwarf cichlids. These include Apistogramma, Mikrogeophagus (Papiliochromis), Nannacara and Dicrossus. As aquarium residents, most species are sensitive to water conditions and are fairly demanding in terms of care. Easily maintained species include the Bolivian ram, Mikrogeophagus altispinosa, and Nannacara anomala.

Commonly encountered genera from West Africa are fishes from the genera Pelvicachromis. One species from this genus, Pelvicachromis pulcher, known in the aquarium trade as the "kribensis", is a popular and good choice for the home aquarium.

It is debatable whether the term dwarf cichlid is applied to small cichlids from rift lakes as there are a number of dwarf-sized cichlids from Lake Tanganyika. However, most require specialist housing and maintenance and are unsuited for the planted aquarium.