# What is it?



## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

Bought 2 kenyi at a big box store last febreuary, at a tiny size (around an 1"or so). It soon became obvious that they were something else; some kind of mbuna hybrid or a species I am unfamilliar with. I'd like some feedback as to what it might be, and if a hybrid, please speculate at to what it could be a cross of.

Male:





































Female:


















male(left) with female(right):










Fish are pretty much as the pictures show, except they are a little more purple, rather then the blue that some of the pictures make them out to be. As well, the male is now exhibiting a little bit of bright yellow at the base of it's pectorial fins, and a little bit showing through it's body. Both fishes exhibit a diffferent pattern on their sides, with the left side looking more like a kenyi(?) pattern and the right side more of a zebra(?) or P. elongatus(?) pattern. I know i have my ideas as to what it could be, and very, very slim chance it's pure :lol:, but just curious as to what others might think it could be.


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## guti9512 (Oct 16, 2010)

both are females male kenny is orange


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

2 female Kenyi. The only you list as female has some bad barring - either poor genetics or could be a hybrid.


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

No, I'm certain neither could be pure kenyi; they both have markings and striping inconsistent with kenyi. Male was an obvious male long before they mated but I have have watched them mate 3 times (female has held 6 times). Seen them mate with my own eyes, so sexes are absolutely certain. Currently have 11 fry from the last mating, of which I witnessed the act. Previously, male was in the tank with female kenyi, but only shows interest in this female. He's supremely aggressive to everything, though much less so towards the female; just does a lot of shaking and dancing around her.


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

Well, since no one really has any ideas, as to what they think it might be, I'll speculate as to what I think it might be. Since I beleive it to be hybrid mbuna, it would be difficult to know with absolute certainty. But I have 11 fry, so I suppose I should be able to see from how they turn out. I doubt it breeds true, so if it's a cross of 2 species, I should be able to get some individuals that resemble an original parent moreso then the other. Will update, when fry get older.

I think it's a cross of kenyi X Pseudotropheus elongatus. The markings on the fins of the male match up pretty closely to P. elongatus, though the female a little less so in this regard. The striping on the right side of the fish, especially that of the female, matches, IMO, to P. elongatus. Male has a more elongated shape then a kenyi. the yellow showing through around the pectorial fins and a little bit on the body, on the male, is further evidence of it's kenyi ancestory.http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=855

Haven't really decided my long term intentions for this fish. But don't worry about spreading hybrids ---- I've given a few male C.A. to the LFS over the years, but very few fish ever leave my tanks, and mbuna never do as they are easily used as feeders (and/or culled).

For the moment, they serve a usefull purpose but live in a rather precarious situation ------ as tankmates for a male dovii X festae hybrid in a 75 gal. tank. The dovii X festae spends most of his time threatening on the end glass as a male dovii is in the adjacent tank, though the much larger dovii in the other tank seldom is interested in threatening back. The 2 mbuna, are usually out and about, especially the male, but dive into the caves if the dovii X festae comes after them. They have been in there for over a month now and are doing suprisingly well. Seems like the doviiX festae is starting to get used to them, as he goes after them, less and less. But I'm gald I removed this male mbuna from my 125 gal. community, as he behaved rediculously. He was number 4 in the mbuna pecking order but was super hyper -aggressive, fighting and/or chasing non-stop. Sort of like his 'spunk' though. He's the sort of super confident and cocky fish that is still chasing other fish around when you have removed all the decor during a water change and all the other fish are scared out of there wits, except him. Anyways, if they can do fine with my dovii X festae, I'm willing to keep this kind of mbuna ----- what I'm going to be successfull housing with a male dovii X festae is likely fairly limited.


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

Well, some up date pictures here. 10 months old now, this first kept batch of 11, and they really shed no light on what exactly this fish is :lol: Seem to be pretty consistent looking through out every stage-----male and female are starting to look pretty much like their parents now. At least this 1st generation apears to breed true.
Here's a pic taken dec. 4, 2010 at 1". Not the best picture to demonstarte this, but at this 1-2" stage I can not distinguish this kind from a kenyi....I guess that's why I was fooled when I originally purchased it:


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## bernie comeau (Feb 19, 2007)

The original male, 1 1/2 years after purchase. light purple colored fish----yellow shows through if you look closely at the fish, especially where the pectoral fin attatches to the body, but doesn't really show in most pictures. Note the black outline at the bottom of the anal fin---unlike a kenyi. has markings on fins like a P. elongatus (?) or socofolli(?), though they do not always show well on pictures.









original female was killed, can't say for sure who did it.... her male or the dovii X festae hybrid or quite possibly acombination of both: nailed by the doviiXfestae while being chased by her male (??).
A couple pics of a dominant male, 10 months old. yellow showing through being captured quite well by the picture."Un-kenyi" like markings on the fins just starting to develope:


















The other dom. male, also has some yellow, though doesn't come through in the pictures:









A pic. showing the emerging pattern on the fins, not yet as developed as the father:








A few pics of what i beleive are likely females. Actually more puple-ish colored then the blue they apear in pics:


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

interesting fish, i am no help but clearly your right not pure kenyi at all. maybe some socolofi?


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

A Kenyi X Socolofi cross could be possible, and I think have been for sale before.

Both fish have blue juveniles, which ends up that the juveniles are still colorful and sell.


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