# Is this a hybrid?!?



## limpert (Aug 28, 2007)

Just stumbled across it... Awesome fish!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rde9fceo ... re=related


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

Looks like an ob zebra hybrid. Maybe a little peacock in there. Definetly hybrid


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Chunkanese said:


> Looks like an ob zebra hybrid. Maybe a little peacock in there. Definetly hybrid


What would you say this?

The reality is, it is not a hybrid at all.


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## limpert (Aug 28, 2007)

Found some other pics...





































I think its a Maylandia OB mix...


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Think the "sauvage" is supposed to mean wild, as in caught wild from Likoma Island in the Lake, F0.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

What makes you think it is a mix?


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## limpert (Aug 28, 2007)

Fogelhund said:


> What makes you think it is a mix?


I just havent seen anything quite like it on the forums...


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

limpert said:


> Fogelhund said:
> 
> 
> > What makes you think it is a mix?
> ...


Well there are likely plenty of things that haven't appeared on the forums, but that doesn't make them hybrids. This isn't either.


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## limpert (Aug 28, 2007)

Fogelhund said:


> limpert said:
> 
> 
> > Fogelhund said:
> ...


Whats the scientific name?


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

Hmm hard to tell from my end I can only use my iPod right now. What makes you think it's not a hybrid. The coloration is nothing I've seen before and seems to have characteristics of different species. Very cool looking in my opinion. In any case I think hybrids are interesting.


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## limpert (Aug 28, 2007)

Chunkanese said:


> The coloration is nothing I've seen before and seems to have characteristics of different species. Very cool looking in my opinion. In any case I think hybrids are interesting.


Agreed.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

I don't know whether this is technically classified currently as a Metriaclima zebra, or Metriaclima fainzilberi. If you read 59 of the 3rd edition of Konings Lake Malawi book, he basically suggests that this is a group in massive need of revision.

They are exported as M. zebra, and the location is Likoma Island.

Appreciate that these pictures come from a French importer, that gets it's fish directly from Stuart Grants exports. They only import WILD fish. This is a picture/video of a wild caught male, in the holding tanks of Franchi-Cichlids, with a number of other wild fish.

I've owned Metriaclima fainzilberi that were not too different in type to this fish, and you can easily google search this species and see OB males with such patterns, of course not exactly the same as this fish.


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## limpert (Aug 28, 2007)

Just because its a wild fish, does that somehow rule out the possibility of hybridization?

Furthermore, I don't believe that there would be so many different classifications or 'group(s) in massive need of revision' if there wasn't some sort of hybridization occurring naturally in the lake... Its just that the scientists are having trouble keeping up with naming them


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

According to those who study Lake Malawi, hybridization is extremely rare in the lake since fish have plenty of potential mates of the same species.

It is thought all Malawi may be descended from one or a very few species, so yes they are all related if you go back far enough. The challenge is to classify them by the separate populations that have since evolved.

Based on additional visits to the lake and additional observations, some new fact may be revealed that shifts the classification from one to the other. That does not make the fish unclassifiable because they have hybridized.

I think it's cool that an unbelievable-looking fish evolved naturally. :thumb:


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

That is a gorgeous fish you (limpert) found. I have seen some pictures of similar-looking fish before - usually under the name Metriaclima fainzilberi.

I'm not sure if the particular collection point for the fish has all OB males or just a small percentage of OB males, but I know with Labeotropheus fuelleborni, another species with OB females - as an example, most collection points predominantly contain regular-colored males. Rarely, a genetic crossover event (this is not the same as crossbreeding) switches the OB gene onto the male chromosome - resulting in about 1% of males expressing the OB pattern on top of their vibrant blues (creating a male which looks like the one you pictured). Because most males are not OB, the profile pictures sometimes don't display both variants of the same species.

For example, theMetriaclima fainzilberi at Lundo island appears to have predominantly regular males and OB females, but I'm pretty sure OB males have been seen at this site.



> Furthermore, I don't believe that there would be so many different classifications or 'group(s) in massive need of revision' if there wasn't some sort of hybridization occurring naturally in the lake... Its just that the scientists are having trouble keeping up with naming them


 I think it's more accurate to say that we haven't fully characterized all of the species in the lake yet. The region only became accessible to explore and study by biologists in the second half of the 20th century and more species of fish live in lake malawi than any other freshwater body in the world. Especially in the deeper parts of the lake, there are estimated to be several hundred species that have not yet been discovered.

It's actually quite possible that hybridization events have created new species in lake Malawi, but it is estimated that such events are rare occurrences. The different species have evolved to become more different than one another in order to fill niches within the lake. It is in the species' best interests to maintain such differences except in cases of food shortage or perhaps a dramatic shift in lake geology which exposes several species to a new habitat.


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## Myrock (Mar 7, 2010)

Consider yourself lucky!!! Nice fish. Hybrid? I doubt it if its wild caught. You know how hard it is to find a wild caught marmalade cat of this quality? Very hard. Nice. Tell that importer to get you some females for him. If you get females and mate them not all of the males will turn out bloched. But wow you just found a diamond my friend :thumb: I had some compact zebras that were very nice some years ago. Not all were marmalade but the ones that were .....NICE. They will carry the gene. My X killed them by dumping food in the tank when I broke up with her. I miss the fish.....lol


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## Petrochromislover (Feb 23, 2009)

its not a hybrid, its just a rare marmalade cat metriclima zebra from likoma.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Petrochromislover said:


> its not a hybrid, its just a rare marmalade cat metriclima zebra from likoma.


I think so too. I found this
http://www.malawicichlid.co.uk/PhotoInd ... koma2.html
http://www.malawicichlid.co.uk/PhotoInd ... ikoma.html

I am not sure but guess they are attractive enough to be selected for and bred for export.


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## Deftones5 (May 3, 2011)

looks like a blueberry OB to me


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Deftones5 said:


> looks like a blueberry OB to me


Very similar except aparently this one is from Likoma rather than Maleri Island, Nankoma Island or Chidunga Rocks.


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## codyDjung (May 4, 2011)

All I wanna know is where i can get some of these! :drooling:


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## danatwh (Oct 10, 2010)

That is one awesomely gorgeous fish! I wouldn't mind snagging a couple of those for myself...WOW!


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## poseidons minions (Dec 1, 2009)

ob zebra very aggressive species


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

poseidons minions said:


> ob zebra very aggressive species


OB Zebra is not one species and not any more aggressive than non OB Zebras.


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## bossfish (Jun 1, 2005)

Stunning fish!


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Kanorin said:


> For example, theMetriaclima fainzilberi at Lundo island appears to have predominantly regular males and OB females, but I'm pretty sure OB males have been seen at this site.


My wild group threw a few OB males.


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