 Typically, the roles are exchanged, but this exchange becomes less frequent during the fry stage as both parents tend to stay with the young.The cichlid has an omnivorous diet that consists of vegetable matter or detritus, often feasting on plants, insects, and smaller fish as well as fish eggs.The cichlid, in certain situations, can also be described as an "opportunistic carnivore", feeding on small vertebrates and invertebrates, including small frogs and water snakes.