# Stripes on yellow labs



## Mbuna freak (Mar 5, 2018)

So I have done some research about the stripes on my labs. And some say they could be a sign of being hybrid. What's everyones input on this?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

It is a poor specimen and/or under stress. Could also be a hybrid, but not necessarily.


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## Mbuna freak (Mar 5, 2018)

I was thinking stress also as they are getting medicated. And as for poor specimen your talking about a crappy breed right?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Even pure labs can have bars...natural variation. Everyone likes the clean yellow ones though.


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## bobby375 (Dec 30, 2017)

I did research and it appears that the "Lions Cove II" varient had the faint stripes..I have 4..the white belly without black trim are females. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=1665


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## bobby375 (Dec 30, 2017)

See also.. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/l_caeruleus.php


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## Mbuna freak (Mar 5, 2018)

Okay makes sense. Thanks everyone


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

All yellow labs should have the black trim (dorsal stripes and fin colors).

On a less dominant fish, like some females, the black can be less brilliant. But if it is not there at all, the fish may be a hybrid. Females can look EXACTLY like males unless you examine the vent. A well-bred, happy yellow lab can have clean bright yellow body with intense black fins regardless of gender.


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## marten (Jan 23, 2018)

I have yet to find a shop or breeder in my area that sells yellow labs, where all the fish in the tank have black on their fins. They say it's due to line breeding, but who knows for sure?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Line bred fish would have black fins and yellow bodies, right?

Inbreeding or breeding without selection could result in poor fin color and body bars possibly.

It is hard to find them but there are good strains out there. I have had better luck buying from a hobbyist who has a good strain than buying from vendors.

There was only one or two in my club, and have not heard from either of them for a while.


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## Cyphro (Mar 23, 2018)

I had very good yellow labs that came from a hobbyist, the males were better than any pics I have seen online. And the girls all had only small amount of black and sometimes none and were usually a lot smaller. They also got little bars like that if they lost a fight recently. So your labs are probably just normal labs with nothing wrong, by the look of them.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Absolutely true. But there ALSO are strains out there where females have the dark black fins and brilliant yellow bodies as well. This discussion is making me miss mine, LOL.

Even my female newly spit fry had the black fins.


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## morrismorris (Mar 21, 2017)

So as a general rule, males will have the black on their fins and females will not, making them only yellow all over?

I am thinking of getting a few more, so want to be clear before walking in to the store.


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## Old Newbie (Feb 18, 2017)

morrismorris said:


> So as a general rule, males will have the black on their fins and females will not, making them only yellow all over?
> 
> I am thinking of getting a few more, so want to be clear before walking in to the store.


My Labs all have the black stripe on their fins, females included.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

morrismorris said:


> So as a general rule, males will have the black on their fins and females will not, making them only yellow all over?
> 
> I am thinking of getting a few more, so want to be clear before walking in to the store.


Not true. Male and female yellow labs should be virtually indistinguishable.


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## morrismorris (Mar 21, 2017)

Sounds good, thank you for the info. It is tough to find them with a good solid black coloring on their fins.


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## Mbuna freak (Mar 5, 2018)

I agree with what dj said. I vented 2 I thought for sure we're females because they were duller in color and the black wasn't quite there yet. But low and behold 2 males. So as of now I have 3m and 1f...what to do what to do...


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## Cyphro (Mar 23, 2018)

If you get males looking so bad they don't show black then it is either mix or else just really bad genetics. I got a little black on all the females just not like the males (and if females look like males do in nature you can argue that is also a bad line even if it was bred for on purpose). A male should show the black pretty early and get it very strong if he is dominant. All the males would show black around one inch or so in at least a thin line, it is really fishy if you don't get any at all.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

This is a monomorphic species, take a look at the profile pictures. Females should have the same coloration as males.

Both males and females can dim their colors if they are not dominant, but the colors should be there.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

DJRansome said:


> Both males and females can dim their colors if they are not dominant, but the colors should be there.


Yes the black color on the fins can fade, and it is not unusual, especially for young females, for the black on the anal and pelvic fins to be white.
IMO there are 3 factors that affect the degree of black on their fins. Age, sex, and possibly most important is pecking order and status.
The lack of black on fins is easily demonstrable on wild caught and F1 specimens shown in these threads. Its demonstrable for all of the yellow-type collection points (Lion's Cove, Ruarwe, Kakusa ect.)
This author even suggests you sex the yellow labs by the lack of black on the females fins and shows his wild caught (sauvage french word for wild) and f1 to show this:
http://aquarium-webzine.com/poisson-eau-douce-eau-de-mer.php?15-labidochromis-caeruleus
Many more examples of threads that show wild caught and F1 young females that lack black coloration on most and sometimes all of their fins. Even a number of pics in some of these threads that demonstrate this in situ (pictures taken right in lake Malawi).
https://www.cichlides-malawi-33-le-forum.fr/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=1688
https://www.cichlids.com/pictures/pic/F1_labidochromis_caeruleus_Lions_cove_female.html
http://www.cichlidsforum.fr/viewtopic.php?t=5301
http://lakemalawi.co.uk/gallery/image_page.php?album_id=11&image_id=577
http://www.malawicichlides.fr/labidochromis-caeruleus-ruarwe-t294.html
http://www.riftforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=84&t=8046
http://www.malawi.pl/tlumacze/yellow.htm
https://malawicichlids.com/mw09001j.htm


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## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

There is some great info in this thread. Thanks to everyone for posting!!!


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