# Mbuna I cannot identify or a hybrid?



## iridextr (Feb 8, 2013)

This fish was brought to a LFS my friend works at. The previous owner didn't want it any longer saying "This gourami beats up my other gouramis" :lol: So I got the fish, finding it quite attractive with it's VERY long ventral fins and dark color. So far, nobody has been able to identify this fish, and it looks like no Mbuna I've ever seen before. Ventrals are very long, almost like featherfins, egg spots are very pronounced, black body with grey bands that are cut in the middle with a black bar. 
Any ideas of what this thing is? I'll upload pictures of the fish in the water when I get home from class.


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## spotmonster (Nov 23, 2006)

iridextr said:


> "This gourami beats up my other gouramis"


Yes, I bet it does :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

No idea what it is, but it looks pretty cool. Can you post some in water pics?


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

Ps.crabro?


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## iridextr (Feb 8, 2013)

I thought Ps. crabro as well, the coloration is a darn close match.. I believe it may be a crabro hybrid of some sort since the coloration is so close. This fish has no disposition like a Ps. Crabro though, it's not nearly as terrorizing as crabros I've had in the past, it's quite mild tempered to be honest and it's getting bullied by my little A. cobue. And then the obvious ventrals not matching up even remotely leads me to thinking other Sp or hybrid. You can't get a good view of the fins when I'm holding the fish, so here are the pictures of the fish in the tank. I had to increase the exposure to give the fish some contrast so I apologize for the pictures being a little grainy.

































I really can't even compare these ventrals to any other mbuna I've seen, they're more than the length of the body when tucked up.


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## Chester B (Dec 28, 2012)

That fish sure is something else. My guess would be crabro hybrid, perhaps with Protomelas spilonotus??? Who really knows.


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## iridextr (Feb 8, 2013)

Is it possible for those two to hybridize? I always assumed they couldn't.


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## Chester B (Dec 28, 2012)

Yes pretty much any mouthbrooding malawi cichlid is capable of breeding with another and producing offspring. The likelihood of a mix like this happening is quite rare, it usually occurs with fish that are more similar.


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

Sweet cichlid. I'm concerned about the sunken stomach. Does it eat well?
It's not necessary to take the fish out of the tank to get pictures of it. It's like somebody holding your head under water. Not pleasant. I'm just speaking on behalf of the fish. No offence intended.


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## iridextr (Feb 8, 2013)

I took the pictures of the fish out of the water before it was placed in the tank, I knew I would have a horrible time trying to take pictures of it when it was first put into the tank. It's eating fine so far. 
I have no idea how this fish was kept in the woman's tank before it got to mine, obviously a little underfed and in the company of gouramis it sounds. Probably too small of a tank as well. It's come out of hiding thus far and is quite a nice addition to the tank, even though I'm really not a fan of hybrids.


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