[You may also listen to parts of this page, either piece by piece if you have a modem connection Goals Egg Project Ownership Begin..End Missing Contact me or as one large file (1.3MB) if you have a faster connection]

Goals

These are exciting times for everyone interested in cichlid fishes! Over 300 species of cichlids are readily obtainable for home aquarists. Scientific research on cichlids in aquariums and in the wild is increasing rapidly, including studies on cichlid behavior, evolution, ecology, genetics, neurobiology and systematics. We now also have the Internet to allow us to communicate about these fishes.

As both a scientific researcher on cichlid behaviour and as a hobbyist, I wanted to create a place where I could interact with the global community of cichlid aquarists and with other scientists. The Cichlid Research Home Page is my opportunity to share some of my knowledge about cichlids. My hope is that the Cichlid Research Home Page can increase collaboration between scientists and hobbyists.

The Cichlid Egg Project

The most unique aspect of the Cichlid Research Home Page is that it provides you with the opportunity to contribute to a real scientific investigation, namely the "Cichlid Egg Project". Not only can you read about what has been found so far, you can join the many others around the world who have contributed to this study. This kind of collaboration is something that is only now possible because of the Internet.

Who Owns the Cichlid Research Home Page?

The Cichlid Research Home Page is owned by me. It is not sponsored by anyone and I am not trying to sell anything. There are no banner advertisements and no pop-up ads. I pay for and produce this website to provide information to people and to share my enthusiasm for these remarkable fishes. All opinions are mine.

All the photographs on these pages (unless stated otherwise) were taken by me. Many were taken in the wild, others were taken of fish in an aquarium. Please do not use them without permission.

Where does the Cichlid Research Home Page begin and end?

As the Internet grows larger and more interconnected, it is easy to loose track of where one website ends and the next begins. In fact, that is one of the goals of the web: to connect dispersed information as seamlessly as possible. To help you know when you are on a page that I have put together, I have given all my pages a common background (blue-green water). So if you see this watery background, you are still on the Cichlid Research Home Page.

Is something missing?

The Cichlid Research Home Page is a large website, containing many dozens of pages and growing all the time. However, if you came to this site looking for something that you think should be here and didn't find it, please let me know. This helps me to decide which things to add next.

Contacting me

If you have any comments or questions about anything on a page with this background, I am the one to talk to. I look forward to hearing from you and I always appreciate comments and suggestions for improvement.

In general, I answer most questions within a day or two, but sometimes I am out of town and it may take me a little longer. However, if I haven't answered your question within a week, please send me another email to remind me or in case the first message didn't get through.

Thanks for visiting.

Ron Coleman, PhD
Department of Biological Sciences
6000 J Street
California State University, Sacramento
Sacramento, CA 95819-6077
916-278-3474

rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com