SA cichlids mostly live in rivers ect and there are only like 100 different species. Africa has the three largest lakes in the world tanganyika (largest, it's an abyss), lake malawi (the ones I raise) and lake victoria... over 8000 species of cichlid...
Africans are mouth brooders too (raise the fry from eggs in their mouths...)..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cichlid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bb7q3L7uVM