Paolo Salvagiani was born in Ravenna, Italy, in 1959. he obtained a degree in Medicine in Bologna and is specialized in Dermatology. Paolo works as family practitioner in Forlì where he lives. He is married to Sabrina.

Paolo likes very much Nature and every aquatic living form, in particular fish. He is particularly keen on cichlids, mostly from lake Tanganyika. He set up his first cichlid tank when he was fourteen, It housed a pair of wonderful jewel fish (Hemichromis sp.): they killed all nine guppies and tetras, but a big love started!

In 1992 with a few other cichlid fans he founded the Associazione Italiana Ciclidofili (AIC) and he had always the pleasure to organize the annual convention of their association in Faenza. This role lets him know many important people in the cichlid world (i.e.: H.H. Buescher, P. de Rham, A. Konings, A. Lamboj, J-C. Nourissat, A. Spreinat, U. Werner, etc..): all of them are nice and interesting guys and some of them became dear friends! He likes very much to travel in Europe looking for cichlids and meeting cichlids lovers!

In April 2002 he took his first collecting-fish trip in Mexico with the incomparable guide of Juan Miguel Artigas Azas, it was an unforgettable experience!

At present he is very proud to be a member of the editorial staff of the new Italian magazine "hydra" that his dear friends Giorgio Melandri and Livio Leoni founded in 2000.