I hope that one thing we can do on this board is move the discussion of African Cichlids beyond the common assumption that African Cichlids = Rift Lake Cichlids. When I look at African Cichlids I tend to put them into the following groups:
Rift Lake Cichlids: The Cichlids of Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika
Lake Victoria Basin Cichlids: The Cichlids of Lake Victoria and surrounding areas in East Africa
West African Cichlids: All of the Cichlids found in the rivers of West Africa, especially the Congo Basin, with its populations of Nannochromis, Pelvicachromis, Steatocranus, and Teleogramma species.
Madagasscar: Cichlids of this island are a unique and interesting group of Cichlids which seem more related to those of Central America than of Africa.
Rift Lake Cichlids: The Cichlids of Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika
Lake Victoria Basin Cichlids: The Cichlids of Lake Victoria and surrounding areas in East Africa
West African Cichlids: All of the Cichlids found in the rivers of West Africa, especially the Congo Basin, with its populations of Nannochromis, Pelvicachromis, Steatocranus, and Teleogramma species.
Madagasscar: Cichlids of this island are a unique and interesting group of Cichlids which seem more related to those of Central America than of Africa.