Evolution of colour patterns in East African cichlid ®sh

With between 2000 and 2500 known species, cichlids (Teleostei, Cichlidae) are probably the most species rich family of vertebrate animals. With over 1500 species, more than half of the world's cichlid species live in the African Great Lakes, where several endemic species ̄ocks evolved in parallel. Speciation rates in some of these ̄ocks are unrivaled among vertebrates and they are among the most colourful animal species assemblages on Earth. Recent studies have attempted to link the ecological and morphological diversity of cichlids with their diversity in male nuptial coloration (McElroy et al., 1991; Deutsch, 1997; Seehausen et al., 1997). Nuptial coloration, however, is but one aspect of cichlid colour