Cichlids are predatory and eat little if any plant matter. These include generalists that catch a variety of small animals

including other fishes and insect larvae (e.g. Pterophyllum), as well as variety of specialists. Trematocranus is a specialised

snail-eater, while Pungu maclareni feeds on sponges. A number of cichlids feed on other fish, either whole or in part. Crenicichla

are stealth-predators that lunge at small fish that pass by their hiding places, while Rhamphochromis are open water pursuit

predators that chase down their prey. Paedophagous cichlids such as the Caprichromis species eat other species' eggs

or young (in some cases ramming the heads of mouthbrooding species to force them to disgorge their young). Among the more

unusual feeding strategies are those of Corematodus spp., Docimodus evelynae, Plecodus, Perissodus and Genyochromis

species, which feed on scales and fins of other fishes, a behaviour known as lepidophagy along with the death mimicking

behaviour of Nimbochromis and Parachromis species, which lay motionless, luring small fish to their side prior to ambush.