# Metriaclima pulpican or White Top Cyno?



## dfarci (Mar 30, 2020)

Purchased these as Cyno afra White Top, and presumed them to be White Top Haras. As someone pointed out to me, they are not like Haras in both color and barring. The supplier also lists pulpican on their list, indicating that they think they have two distinct species at the very least. Thoughts on this guy? And what to make of the joined bar on his left side? Mutt/hybrid?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Pictures don't work for me.


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## dfarci (Mar 30, 2020)

Hmm, how about these?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

That's the problem with common names. White Top Cyno has also been used over the years for pulpican too. More often, it's called kingsizei. But, M. pulpican is what you have.


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## dfarci (Mar 30, 2020)

Thanks Fogelhund! Admittedly I did not realize they were/are called White Top Cynos, which is frustrating. What's more frustrating is a supplier having both listed...but that's another conversation.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

dfarci said:


> Thanks Fogelhund! Admittedly I did not realize they were/are called White Top Cynos, which is frustrating. What's more frustrating is a supplier having both listed...but that's another conversation.


\Don't get me talking about Electric Blue Cichlids.... which could be one of a dozen fish.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

These this has been a confusing fish over the years, since the 80s, and this isn't the first time somebody complained that they ordered the rarer newer found "White Top Hara" and got something that resembled Pulpican. It also used to be sold once as a "Clown Afra" or "Clown Zebra". Many of these have a vague look so you are not really sure if they are pure or not.

The barring is not great, but apparently fish are not all perfect symmetrical in nature either. Good Kingsizei males should have a nice bright light forehead. They are small but spunky, more rowdy than real Cynotilapia.


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## dfarci (Mar 30, 2020)

I finally heard back from a good friend who I trust, and they have said the following:

Metriaclima pulpican will have solid light dorsal - no stripes bleeding into the dorsal. They also won't have as pronounced teeth.

They believe it to be Cynotilapia afra "White Top" from Likoma (though I will not list my fish with this location if/when I list them, as the supplier did not guarantee it). I was under the impression that this species was supposed to be pulpican now, but maybe I was incorrect. I am also worried about the lack of barring across the forehead, which is supposed to be indicative of Cynotilapia, correct?

What do you think? I am currently trying to dig out my Konings book from storage after my move to see what he's got to say.


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## Cosi (Apr 1, 2020)

I have never had either species but both look outstanding. However looking at the links below it looks like C. hara has all blue anal fins and all locales of M. pulpican have black in their anal fins. The pics also show some C. hara with black dorsal stripes. Just a casual observation on my part but by no means definitive.

http://malawi.si/Malawi/Mbuna/Maylandia ... index.html
http://malawi.si/Malawi/Mbuna/Cynotilap ... 0Reef.html


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