Hello cichlid fans—THIRTY YEARS!! Yes, that’s right, we have been publishing Cichlid News magazine quarterly for
30 years. That is 120 issues devoted exclusively to cichlid fishes. As I consider the thirtieth-year milestone, I think
of all that has happened in this time. First, we have had four excellent editors with vast knowledge in the field of
cichlids, who have presented over 550 articles devoted to cichlids from over three dozen expert authors. We have, here in
southern Florida, survived four of the twelve most destructive hurricanes to make US landfalls. We have presented dozens
of first-time accounts of newly-discovered cichlid species or variants. Yes, we have come a long way. Little did I know when
I first started printing and sending color photocopied “What’s New” sheets in 1991 containing twelve photos of new cichlid
fish in shipment boxes to wholesalers that we would end up 30 years later with a popular fish-keeping magazine. You see, I
was getting tired of describing newly discovered and imported fish to wholesalers over the phone back then with usually a
negative non-purchase because of price. But a picture speaks a thousand words. And after a few months and the third sheet
of the infant “Cichlid News”, clients were asking me just to mail them the sheets. So we launched an eight-page test mini-issue
at the second ACA International Cichlid Convention in Orlando in July 1991 with a male Sunshine Yellow Peacock
(Aulonocara sp. ‘stuartgranti maleri’) on the cover. The response was an instant success. A magazine was born. And as they
say, the rest is history… And I couldn’t have done it without help from some of my best friends, our advertisers, and all of
you, the readers! I want to especially thank Ad Konings, Wayne Leibel, Jeffrey Taylor, Oliver Lucanus, and all our wonderful
authors. Job well done.
Back to the matter of this milestone issue. This issue we have some great material to celebrate with. First our long-time
contributor, Juan Miguel Artigas Azas writes an overview about the Paretroplus species from Madagascar. Important food
fish in the past there, now most are just struggling to hang on. A large aquarium is needed to breed these rarities! Next, Oliver
Lucanus writes about the Mesoheros species from South America. Most looking and behaving like many Central American
cichlids we know well. Then another regular contributor, Wolfgang Staeck writes an extremely interesting article on Apistogramma
borelli highlighting the many different color types and ranges, some of them from the southern (and cooler) parts of
South America. Next Anton Lamboj enlightens us on Pelvicachromis sacrimontis from Nigeria, not to be confused with the
usual species from there. Ad Konings presents his look at the fishes in Microdontochromis or are we really back to Xenotilapia?
Lastly, Patrick Tawil takes a quick look at the “Big-lipped” haps from Lake Malawi trying to bring the genus Eclectochromis
back into the limelight. That’s the lineup this time. Enjoy and thanks loyal readers!
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