# Kingsizei blue?????



## Dno (May 13, 2008)

Is this a Kingsizei Blue? *** been told he isnt.










Cheers Dno.


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## SinisterKisses (Feb 24, 2004)

I may be wrong, don't have any experience with them personally, but I don't think kingsizei have yellow/orange in their dorsals?


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## Dno (May 13, 2008)

he is a full size mature male. n he only shows that slight of yellow when hes in show to the females.


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## Dno (May 13, 2008)

i just picked up another male 2day woo hes a sexy looking beast of a fish


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

No, that's not a kingsizei.

My first thought was one of the Cyno. sp. Mbamba, but I don't think the facial structure is right for that.

I hope this is a really big tank if you're adding another male that looks just like that one!


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## ZachDees (Jun 28, 2008)

its Definatly in the metriaclima greshakie family


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

I agree with Cichlidaholic... some type of Cynotilapia afra.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

It looks alot like the Cynotilapia sp. Mbamba Chitende Island that I used to breed, but I believe they had more yellow on the dorsal.

Here is one of my males:



















Here is a young kingsizei male:


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

How big is this mature male?

Definitely has a resemblance to Kim's C. sp. mbamba, but I'm not sure how prevalent such a variant is.

I haven't seen that variant around the Midwest much - and I definitely haven't a clue as to the availability of such species in Australia.

As for being a "kingsizei blue", it doesn't resemble any of the various 'kingsizei-type' mbuna I've seen so far but I will look through my materials again in case my bad memory is kickin' in again... :roll:


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## Dno (May 13, 2008)

that looks so close cichlidaholic with this pic of mine i say that they are Cynotilapia sp. Mbamba Chitende or mine is simply an Australian variant, i only know of one place here in Queensland where i can get these from n the even on the tank its listed as a kingsizei.

Ciclidaholic's









Mine







.

Also my new young "kingsizei" looks exactly the same as yours









I tried to get a pick of the females but there shy.


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## CichlidLover2 (Jul 31, 2005)

Maybe they look similar, but I still have my doubts. There's just something about yours that doesn't seem the same.

Maybe its just the color, or the lighting when you took your picture. Kim's afra has a dark blue body and the bars extend to the tail, your fish's bars kinda end early.

But heck what do I know :roll:


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I am not certain they are the same, either, and you certainly can't apply a locale to it when you can't be for sure. I do believe it may be a Cynotilapia, but not convinced it's a Chitende Island Mbamba. They aren't that easy to come by, as far as I know...Mine were F1, a local breeder had the group of wild parents.

I don't think that third pic of your last post is a pure kingsizei, either. One of the most distinct things about these guys from a very early age is a black outline along the upper and lower rims of the tail. Yours has the outline along the bottom edge of the tail, but it's not quite as prevalent as it should be. I raised alot of these guys, and by the time they are an inch long, those markings are very defined. I'm also seeing what appears to be a yellow cast where the dorsal meets the body???

The problem with buying mislabeled fish is that you'll never be able to identify them beyond a shadow of a doubt. So, while yours is very nice, I would not assign a locale to it, and really wouldn't claim it as anything more than a Cynotilapia sp. :thumb:

Did you by chance see any females? Female Mbamba of the Chitende Island variant are pretty distinctive, if you can get a pic for me.


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## birkasgeri (Feb 2, 2008)

... well I think it's an Afra Jalo also called as Yellow Top Afra. Isn't it?

http://www.cichlidforum.com/profiles/sp ... hp?id=1733


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

birkasgeri said:


> ... well I think it's an Afra Jalo also called as Yellow Top Afra. Isn't it?
> 
> http://www.cichlidforum.com/profiles/sp ... hp?id=1733


This is the point I'm trying to make.

There are several species that your fish _could be_.

I think we've got the genus right, but I don't think we'll be able to confirm the species, as long as the LFS doesn't have a clue what they really are.

You've got a nice fish there, but I wouldn't sell any fry from him. :thumb:


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## birkasgeri (Feb 2, 2008)

do agree... :thumb:


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

I don't think it could be a Jalo Reef. Jalo Reefs have a solid yellow dorsal, with some individuals having a slight-bit of barring running into the dorsal.


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## Dno (May 13, 2008)

thanks for all ur reply's i do intend to to keep them all, if they breed iam not planing on selling them at all i like their colours n should they breed enough put them in a species only tank thats if i ever find out wat they are lol. or the ever multiplying fry be used as feeder fish for my larger cichlids n my 2 turtles when they arrive.

Cheers Dno.


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## non_compliance (Dec 4, 2008)

it sort of looks like my zebra long pelvic... but hard to tell with the color.. also, face may be a bit different.

http://cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopi ... t=#1252702


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## nick a (Apr 9, 2004)

Agree, some type of Cyno. Possibly not an afra. See the pics of the two variants on this post. Notice the facial black bars.....also note the relatively minor color configurations on the males from one local to another

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=184650&highlight=

As Why-Spy pointed out to me elsewhere, the facial patterns are one of the things that separate the 'mbamba' group.

Note the patterns on this juvenile








and this (still kinda rough looking WC) adult Mbamba Mphanga Rocks









The way the facial patterns on yours look to me, it seems to fit the Mbamba type. As to locale variant??????


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