# Pseudotropheus ident please!



## cbryan1976 (Mar 2, 2007)

A local breeder has the following unidentifed pseudotropheus up for sale. Male and female pictured... Any thoughts what it is?


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

It is a pair of Metriaclima sp. "msobo"


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## cbryan1976 (Mar 2, 2007)

That's great, thanks alot. I'll google them and look them up. They appear much like saulosi, so I wonder if they'll behave like them also...


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## CaseyV (Jan 2, 2010)

wow they're beautiful


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

cbryan1976 said:


> That's great, thanks alot. I'll google them and look them up. They appear much like saulosi, so I wonder if they'll behave like them also...


No, they make saulosi's seem like wimps. They can be quite aggressive towards their own kind. I would attempt to get more females.


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## cbryan1976 (Mar 2, 2007)

He did say he's got a group of 15 growing out, I was thinking to go for 1m3f?

So in a tank with Saulosi wouldn't be appropriate?


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## cichlidno0b (Feb 1, 2010)

that blue fish is gorgeous


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## GoofBoy (Jul 3, 2007)

cbryan1976 said:


> He did say he's got a group of 15 growing out, I was thinking to go for 1m3f?
> 
> So in a tank with Saulosi wouldn't be appropriate?


You would need to get a bunch and determine sex as they grow as all juvies have female coloring.

Orange girls all around if you put them in with Saulosi, only a couple of blue males, definite cross-breeding - is that what you want?


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## cbryan1976 (Mar 2, 2007)

No, don't want cross breeding. He's sent me pics of the youngsters, seems some are colouring up enough to tell the sex. I was thinking if there is a risk my saulosi male (no saulosi females in my tank) might mate with the msobo's, then maybe try just a single male specimin? Picture below of youngsters:


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

Actually I have kept msobo with saulosi and they do not seem to be interested in cross breeding at all. Msobo don't seem to be as anxious to breed in general as most mbuna are. But the male msobo's always completely ignored the female saulosi.

As Fogelhund mentioned msobo can and will easily dominate saulosi even though they are not overly aggressive mbuna in general. They are simply quite a bit bigger than saulosi. Strangely the female msobo seem to be the more aggressive sex.

Of course it is always a distinct possibility that ANY mbuna will hybridize. So, for that reason alone I would not keep them together if you intend to distribute fry.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

How can you tell your female msobo from the female saulosi to be sure they are not hybridising?
Size? A younger or smaller than average female msobo could/would look like a older or larger female saulosi? Or am I missing something?

You would I guess also need the male saulosi not to be interested in young msobo females, I guess that might be more of a problem?

Sorry not saying you are wrong, I have not bred msobo (and not kept em with saulosi) but am rather interested as it seems a very brave mix (not a problem if you do not let any young out of your tanks.)

All the best James


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

Female msobo are a darker more orange than yellow. Also, they have a larger Metriaclima type mouth than the smaller Psuedotropheus type mouth that the saulosi have. I have always thought that the saulosi seemed an awful lot like a tropheops in general body shape, wheras msobo are like any random Metriaclima.

As far as the males having interest in the females of the other species........I imagine with a lack of their own females they likely would show interest. But as I noted when I kept both species together (both 1m 3f mixes) I never once saw a male show interest in one of the wrong females.

I did have several broods of fry (msobo only as they seemed to oppress the saulosi from actively breeding) and didn't notice any anomolies, in fact I still have 5 of the msobo in a juvenile mbuna tank now about 1.5" and they appear normal. Can I be 100% certain there was never any hybridization no, but I don't believe there was.


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

Here is a picture from my tank when I had both. Female saulosi in the upper left, male afra cobue in the middle, and female msobo in the upper right.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Thank you for putting in the time and effort to answer my question.

All the best James


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

No problem whatsoever James, after all isn't that what these forums are all about! :thumb:


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## mr.species44 (Sep 6, 2009)

They look alot like a male and female johannii i have plenty of them and the females are a nice orange like that and the males are a nice blue like that maybe thats what they are


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

The fish in question are definitely Metriaclima sp. "msobo".


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