Are Sunfish Bizarro Cichlids, Or Are Cichlids Bizarro Sunfish?

An introduction to the Centrarchid family, with a comparison of the many features this family has in common with cichlids. Bob Bock enjoys writing and speaking about aquarium fish and aquarium-related topics.  He writes a column for the Biotope, the newsletter of the Capital Cichlid Association.  Bob also is the author of the “Meet the Hobbyist” column, which appeared in Tropical Fish Hobbyist.   He has also contributed articles to Aquarium Fish International, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, and In Fisherman.  Bob is Past President of the North American Native Fishes Association and his interest in aquarium fish began at the age of 7, when he collected mummichog from the Hackensack River marshes, in his home town of Jersey City, New Jersey.  Through the years, Bob has kept and bred numerous native and non-native species in his Washington, D.C. area fish room, including sunfish, mollies, Limias, cichlids, and killifishes.  He belongs to nearly all of the Washington area’s aquarium clubs, and attends meetings regularly.