# ID this guy?



## Lifetime Journeyman (Sep 26, 2013)

He's maybe 2 1/2" long and currently in my isolation tank. I found him in a small LPS in with some Yellow Labs, socolofi, johannii, & others, but recognized right away he isn't a socolofi. I've been through all the mbuna profiles and it looks like he might be a blue Met. estherae (Red Zebra). Just never found a blue one in stores in my area. Sometimes there are faint vertical bars showing, but not often. I apologize for some of the pics not being too clear, but I wanted to show the outline and various details. Thanks for any info.









As far as I can tell, he has the same shape as these juvenile Red Zebras from my breeding pair:


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## Michael_S (Aug 18, 2013)

Could also be Metriaclima callainos


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## Lifetime Journeyman (Sep 26, 2013)

Thanks for the response, Michael. I did seriously consider this, and it may be, as the color and body shape match very well. But after reading the species articles here for both I was leaning more toward estherae because of the faint vertical bars that sometimes show. However, other online sources clearly show alleged specimens of callainos with vertical bars. I'm OK with either, I bought him because he is different from what I usually find around here and he was the only one among the assorted ACs. I just like to know what I have in my tanks.


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Blue Metriaclima estherae differ from Met. callanois in that the former tend to display egg spots along the trailing edge of the dorsal fin whereas Met. callanois do not.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Probably just the much more common blue Callainos. Sometimes they show crappy faint barring when frightened, but the barring does not look like the classic barring of M. zebra or the Cynotilapia types.

Blue Estherae males have much more variable color than Callainos. Estherae males can be dull grey-blue to almost white.

Of course, you never know if a fish is F11 and they were mixed generations ago. Looks like a nice Callinos to me.


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## Lifetime Journeyman (Sep 26, 2013)

Thanks for the info, GTZ & noki, wasn't aware of some of the finer details.

Mods, sorry I put this in the wrong place, I didn't see the "Unidentified" section 'til I'd already posted. Thanks for moving it.


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## Marconi (Oct 7, 2013)

Cobalt Blue Zebra


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## Bowfront (Jun 3, 2013)

Cobalt Blue Zebra, and IMHO one of the most beautiful cichlids out there. Common but awesome color and personality.
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