# Mystery Hap



## Strohster (Oct 24, 2008)

I picked up a blackish, yellow striped cichlid which resembles a sciaenochromis freyeri in body and head shape. I thought at first it might be a midnight or blue orchid peacock. The good people at Mitten-State Cichlids suggested maybe a copadichromis variant. I thought maybe some folks over here could ID it for me. (Obviously, I'm hoing it isn't a hybrid.)




























Thanks for the help.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

It is a Sciaenochromis fryeri. It could have been hormoned and turned black as a result.


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## PiePuncher (Feb 1, 2005)

Does the fish have any dots on its side? Maybe three or so on the side? Young Lithobates look similar when maturing but they would have fairly large dots on the side that go away with age. The lithobates tend to be darker in color than the fryeri.


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## Strohster (Oct 24, 2008)

It's definately not a lithobates. I've got two (yellow and red blaze) and their body and head shape is completely different. Thanks for the info, though.

Aside from color, they look just like the fryeri.


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## letstalkfish (Dec 25, 2008)

I dont know maybe a new variant of Sciaenochromis fryeri. Who Knows the Lake is so big. So imagine how many variants of each species they are out there that are waiting to be found or will never be found.


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## bulldogg7 (Mar 3, 2003)

That's how mine started out, he's so shiny and blue now it's hard to get a decent picture of him.
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd84 ... 1083-2.jpg
The female stayed a dark color, almost brown
here's one of their fry in the back (almost 2 inches, juvie I guess), sometimes they turn dark also
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd84 ... 006-57.jpg

I also have a normal male, and a blueish female. I think they may just be a different strain of fish.


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## Gibbs (Apr 21, 2008)

*Bulldogg7*, it amazes me at the quality of fish you have. In every picture i have seen you post the fish look absolutely amazing. Get some more pics up and a tank shot in the tank section is well over due 

:thumb: :thumb:


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## Guest (Feb 5, 2009)

Either a sterile S. fryeri due to hormones or a male getting ready to color up...


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## Strohster (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks for the compliments and the help.

A little update: I seperated the two dark Sc. Fryeri "midnights" and put one in a 75 gallon male show tank and left the smaller one in a 20 gallon long grow tank with other male blue Fryeri. The one in the 75 was a lighter black after a couple weeks and the yellow in his dorsal fin has grown half way down his head. He and the blue fryeri about his size chase each other often. Aside from color they're exact.

But the smaller one grew darker, developed an ovipositor- egg point, laid and collected eggs and until yesterday was holding. I'm relieved she won't carry the hybrids to term but was completely stunned that she was a she. I've seperated her from the boys and think I'll try to put her and the dark male together. I've never heard of a Scianochromis Fryeri "midnight" until now. I'd love some more information on that variant if anyone has any, before I try to breed them. I don't want a bunch of hybrid fry on my hands, but if it's a legit breed or variant, it'd be nice to let other people get ahold of them as well.


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## chapman76 (Jun 30, 2004)

I hate to break it to you, but the one in the 75 is a hybrid or hormoned. No fryeri gets a yellow blaze. There is no such fish and fryeri Midnight either.

It looks a lot like the lithobates/fryeri hybrids I've seen all over around the Detroit area. The only part that thinks it might have been hormoned too much and now is sterile is because the female. With the male and female both turning black and the male getting orange tips on the dorsal. In all of the fryeri I've raised, no male ever had orange tips of the dorsal. Only females. Yes, I did keep a log to prove my thoughts. Once I started actually keeping a log I had 236 males and 347 females. I did raise them until about 2" and that is when I could normally sex them at due to the males starting to turn blue or were completely blue.


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