# What kind of cichlid. looks like brown bumble bee



## Miniblaz3 (Feb 24, 2012)

I picked this guy up at the pet store, they didn't know what he was, he just came in with "mixed cichlid" Any ideas?

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... G_0350.jpg

Thanks Meghann


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## Miniblaz3 (Feb 24, 2012)

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... G_0219.jpg
http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... G_0220.jpg


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## gunnerb (Nov 18, 2011)

female auratus


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## lilcountrygal (Dec 27, 2011)

The second group of pictures is definitely an auratus. Has female coloration.

In the first group, it almost looks like a calvus? Probably way off tho.


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2012)

in the first post the top fish looks to me like placidochromis milomo and the bottom is a pseudotropheus crabro is the one you're talking about the second post is a female melanochromis auratus

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=845


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## Miniblaz3 (Feb 24, 2012)

Thank you for helping me learn this was a female auratus.
That 1st pic was taken 3 months ago. This is my auratus now, it has lost all its bright colors and is now dull. Is there any reason for that to happen, my water levels all seem to be in check. I feed my fish a varied diet. (Dainichi color FX and Dainichi Veggie Deluxe. Mixed together) (NLS New Life Spectrum) and (Tetra Cichlid Crisps) All my fish are exhibiting vivid color with the exception of this little guy. His color seemed to fall dull about a month and a half ago.

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... G_0437.jpg

Thanks for the help! Meghann


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2012)

yea its a male.. lol.. males get black females stay yellow oh and males are super psycho


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## Miniblaz3 (Feb 24, 2012)

Ok that may explain it. He can get pretty agressive at times. =( I wish he would have stayed that color. Lol I have what I believe to be an all male tank, those two fish were really the only two fish I had in question thank you so much for your help.


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

m1ke715m said:


> yea its a male.. lol.. males get black females stay yellow


I wouldn't assume that. The dark male coloration seems to have something to do with dominance and heirarchy and is not only associated with being male.

Here's a pic of 2 of my females. They have close to full male coloration with a male in the tank.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/6z7.jpg
The larger in front held at least once, and the smaller in the back held at least 6 times of which i witnessed the spawning act at least twice. The smaller female I removed when she held once and got 15 fry from her and also got a few survivors in the tank from at least two other spawns. The larger female was usually subordinate to the male, even though he was smaller and younger then her. But for breif periods she held territory against him. They would fight furiously.....she would always loose and instantly turn to a very, very drab female-like coloration. The pics in this thread remind me of her in this state though not nearly as drab as my female would turn. In a few days her male-like color would return and in a few more days would begin to attempt to hold territory again and the whole process would repeat itself.

This is a pic of the 'small' female taken last august, now 4 1/2" and now with full male coloration.
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z116/Bern-C/6o20.jpg

She got bigger all of a sudden then the male, began to fight with him....he got killed. Now she is the sole remaining of 4 auratus and numerous fry that got 2"+.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I have read this colour change in M.auratus is not always sex linked but dominace linked.
Not seen it myself but read it so many times I have come to believe it can happen.
eg http://malawicichlids.com/mw09002a.htm as well as respected papers on wild fish.
eg Hale et al. (1998) on exceptions to sexually dimorphic coloration (two female individuals in the laboratory were found with typical male colors)

All the best James


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## Miniblaz3 (Feb 24, 2012)

Hmm this is getting puzzling, It does look very similar to the female posted above. This is the only auratus I have in the tank, It has taken claim to texas holy rock and guards it pretty well. As I'm looking at him now he is almost all gray on the side hiding almost all traces of color, Could this possibility be trying to disguise himself for some reason? To bad fish just dont have a skirt you can lift up to tell. Lol

I must say this is my favorite part of being a cichlid owner is the way they change color, it's like getting a new fish every day!!!

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... G_0435.jpg
http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... G_0437.jpg


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

Tough to be certain. I really couldn't say for sure either way. It could be a male still in color transition but 1 1/2 months seems like a long time for a male to be still undergoing the transition (?). IME males change color quickly. Days or weeks at most, from what I can recall.

To me it looks more like the more muddy, less defined almost male-like coloration that females sometimes take on. My 'larger' female never did quite take on the full male coloration. Close though. And they varied somewhat over time. My 'small' female took a good year to take on the full, complete male coloration that she now pocessess.


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## Miniblaz3 (Feb 24, 2012)

Heres another pic of the one who looks like the bumble bee, he actually has a lot of sliver in him. sorry for the cloudy pics

http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... G_0469.jpg
http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... G_0467.jpg


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

Miniblaz3 said:


> Heres another pic of the one who looks like the bumble bee, he actually has a lot of sliver in him. sorry for the cloudy pics
> 
> http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... G_0469.jpg
> http://i1242.photobucket.com/albums/gg5 ... G_0467.jpg


As mentioned previously, this is probably a Placidochromis milomo "VC-10" haplochromine. They get pretty big and look cool when they're all grown up - with big, fat lips.


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