The goal of this project is to promote research and conservation actions in a relatively unexplored region in the Brazilian Southern Amazon. This region has been the focus of human-induced deforestation and the preservation of its freshwater ecosystems has been particularly overlooked. It is a promising region for behavioral studies with a great diversity of clear-water environments. Yet, these ecosystems remain drastically unexplored. Our first goal was to describe the diversity of fish species and fish social behaviors, especially in the Cichlidae family, occurring in the surroundings of Alta Floresta and Sinop (MT, Brazil). Cichlids are a classic model for studying social evolution, but most of the knowledge comes from only a few species of the great African lakes. Here we wanted to fill this gap and increase knowledge of Amazonian cichlids. Our main questions are: What are the most common social organization and reproductive strategies in Amazonian cichlids? How are these strategies influenced by different levels of predation and the seasonality of Amazonian rivers? Our first exploratory expedition took place in March 2021. We visited four clear-water environments around Alta Floresta and Sinop and collected data on three species of Cichlids: Crenicichla strigata, Aequidens cf. epae, and a yet undescribed species of Geophagus. We performed direct observations using snorkels, conducted visual transects, and used GoPro cameras to register and record the distribution and behavior of these species. Data analyses are still in progress but the preliminary analyses of the Geophagus data indicate that this species shows biparental care, with the parental effort being similarly shared between males and females. Keep scrolling for some really cool videos of cichlids behavior at the end of this page and stay tuned for more results soon!