# ID on red top zebra type.



## sasquatch-exists (Feb 25, 2009)

I have, what I think, is a red top ice blue cichlid. I know that its a female because it bred with my male kenyi. Does anyone know what the male looks like?


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

There are two fish that are often called red tops, a zebra complex fish _Metriaclima greshakei_, and a Labidochromis species _Labidochromis sp. "Hongi"_

Pics of males and females can be seen in the profile section.

greshakei - http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=794

Hongi - http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1911


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## sasquatch-exists (Feb 25, 2009)

Thanks I went to the links you posted and think that its a _greshakei_

I'm going to try to find some pics of females.


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## SinisterKisses (Feb 24, 2004)

Females are brown...that fish looks to have too much colour for a female greshakei. However, the part that leads me to believe it is not a pure greshakei is the fact that the bars are way, way too skinny and there are way, way too many of them for a greshakei.


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## rdknjsr599 (Mar 2, 2007)

SinisterKisses said:


> Females are brown...that fish looks to have too much colour for a female greshakei. However, the part that leads me to believe it is not a pure greshakei is the fact that the bars are way, way too skinny and there are way, way too many of them for a greshakei.


The only two fish that I have heard that were "red top" anded with "cobalt" were metriaclima greshakei, and another very similar looking fish... metriaclima mbenji. In either case the males (when mature) have a light powder blue color to their body with their dorsal fin being an orange to redish color. I however have to agree that the stripping in the female you have is much to fine and numerous - maybe a hybrid?. Here is a pic that I just took of one of my metriaclima mbenji juvie males that is starting to color up.


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## sasquatch-exists (Feb 25, 2009)

Do females always start out brown?

She had spaced no bars at first, and now she just seems to be getting darker.

Are you saying it could be a metriaclima mbenji?

If it's a hybrid what types do you think it is? :-?


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## rdknjsr599 (Mar 2, 2007)

If it were either a greshakei or mbenji, then both the females and males start out as a brownish color. But to be honest I don't think that its a pure strain of either. As for what it could be and/or what it may be a hybrid of, I honestly don't know. With it being a female, it makes it allot harder to try and determine what it is since there are so many different types that look similar.


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## sasquatch-exists (Feb 25, 2009)

Oh well, I'll still keep her I just wont keep her baby's.

I will try to get s better pic. she looks almost like a male when her colors come out!


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## sasquatch-exists (Feb 25, 2009)

Tell me what u think!


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