Emperor cichlids,
believed to mate only
once, watch over their
thousands of offspring,
called fry. Adults can
grow to almost three
feet, making them
the largest of the
nearly 250 cichlid
species endemic to
Lake Tanganyika.
PREVIOUS PHOTO
Baby Haplotaxodon
microlepis scramble
for safety in their
mother’s mouth. Like
many cichlid species,
they’re mouth brood-
ers: 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.