# Not Quite a Zebra



## Sakura (Sep 7, 2007)

When I first started, this fish was sold to me as a zebra. It doesn't look, act, or grow like a zebra to me. For instance, it is only about 3" long now and I think it probably won't get much larger. The body shape looks wrong to my inexperienced eye.

I saw a picture of another kind of mbuna that looked just like it the other day, although I suppose my fish could be a hybrid. The picture is poor, but I would love some input.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I'm thinking it may be one of the classic Yellow lab/estherae crosses that are so common in the hobby these days, but I could be wrong.

Any chance of a good side/profile shot?

It's about the colour of my female Ps. Msobo Deep, but the faint barring is throwing me off. (My females never show any barring at all.)

Kim


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## Sakura (Sep 7, 2007)

Thanks, Kim. I am open to the possibility that it is a hybrid. It does not have the sloping forehead shown in the female Msobo profiles. The barring is much fainter than it shows in photographs.

The size is one of the things confusing me. At least 2 months after buying the fish shown above, I bought a smaller red top zebra (store owner assured me it was an afra) and the red top outgrew it in two months. They had very different profiles.

I will try to get more shots tonight. I suspect it is a she because she never shakes her tail at the other fish or flashes another color.


On a side note, when I stocked my tank I did not go with online dealers because of the shipping. In retrospect, online dealers can be cheaper than what I pay locally and I would have gotten what I wanted.


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## SinisterKisses (Feb 24, 2004)

Looks like a saulosi female to me.


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## mr_cichlid2004 (Mar 19, 2004)

I thought female Saulosi as well :-?


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## Sakura (Sep 7, 2007)

That's exactly what I was thinking.  I will still try to post some pictures this evening.


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## rED O (Mar 1, 2008)

it could also be a w/c fi or f2 yellow lab


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

rED O said:


> it could also be a w/c fi or f2 yellow lab


Without any balck, that is highly unlikely. No one would collect a yellow lab that didn't have any black in the fins. Besides the face and mouth are not Lab.

I say saulosi as well. Especially since it has not grown past the 3ish inch mark.


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## CichInTheMind (Feb 27, 2008)

Im thinking female saulosi too


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

Looks like a saulosi to me. :thumb:


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## dielikemoviestars (Oct 23, 2007)

Looks exactly like my 3 female saulosi... And I know 2 of them are pure.


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