Picture of a group of baby cichlids returning to the safety of their mouther's mouth.

Meet cichlids: These fish are doting parents, builders, and dancers

The unique diversity of cichlids in Africa’s oldest lake could help unlock the secrets of evolution.

Baby Haplotaxodon microlepis scramble for safety in their mother’s mouth. Like many cichlid species, they’re mouth brooders: Both parents carry babies orally and let them out to feed, recalling them at the first hint of danger, until the young strike out on their own or become too big to fit.
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