This is a list of South American cichlid species that are commonly kept by aquarists.
| Cichlid species | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pic | Common name | Species | Region | Size | Aggression | Level | Description |
| Green Terror | Aequidens rivulatus | NW South America | 1 foot | moderate | Bottom | Males grow much larger than females | |
| Freshwater Angelfish | Pterophyllum scalare | North-Central South America | 10 cm | moderate; safe for community aquaria, but can be territorial with members of its own species | Midwater/Throughout | Comes in a variety of colors/patterns | |
| Oscar | Astronotus ocellatus | Amazon Basin and The Guianas | 18 inches | Midwater | commonly thought to be aggressive, but not really | ||