# please help with positive IDs



## Acorn27 (Sep 1, 2009)

Please comment with positive identification - thanks!  Any clarification is appreciated. I know I have mixed regions, working on changing that.

Sorry for the poor quality, just getting the hang of the fish photography thing.....

#1 - cyphotilapia frontosa?









#2 - Altolamprologus calvus?









#3 - Labidochromis Hongi (Hongi Red Top)?









#4 - Ice Blue Zebra???


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Correct, except that the 4th fish may not be exactly Metriaclima greshakei. Does the bars ever get black with mood?


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## Acorn27 (Sep 1, 2009)

yes, the bars can get very dark or light depending on mood


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## KMNL (Sep 4, 2008)

From the side, the 4th fish looks like a labeotropheous fuellborni ( spelling? ) I have three of them. They're blue, dominant ones turn into a bright blue almost lilac color. When under stress they're dark blue or display dark bars. Another way to ID a fuellborni is to look at their snout. Its fleshy and rounded


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

number 4 is definitely a zebra complex fish, leaning toward _Metriaclima pyrsonotos_ myself. They tend to have more visible barring than the greshakei.


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

#4 is definitely a _Met. zebra_-complex mbuna.


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## Acorn27 (Sep 1, 2009)

could be. The last pic in the profiles section for metriaclima pyrsonotos (juvenile male) looks very similar. Other pictures in the profile do not resemble the one in my tank, one even looks like Labidochromis Hongi (XL male). the tag at the fish store said "red top cobalt" but I don't know what that is.

I'll try to get a better pic.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Acorn27 said:


> the tag at the fish store said "red top cobalt" but I don't know what that is.


 I have seen Met. greshakei referred to that way since their body shape is almost identical to cobalt zebras (Met. callainos)


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## pikayooperdave (Jul 10, 2009)

Red top cobalt would mean that it is a zebra. It is a zebra.

The first three are what you thought they are.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

pikayooperdave said:


> Red top cobalt would mean that it is a zebra. It is a zebra.


"Zebra" as a descriptor covers at least 20 different species in the Metriaclima and Pseudotropheus genuses (geni?), the zebra comlex species. So it is really not a helpful identification.


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## MCKP (Aug 17, 2009)

The 4th looks just like my 'Bruce' which is a Met. Greshakei.... And his barring gets lighter and darker depending on mood.....


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## Acorn27 (Sep 1, 2009)

I'm going to have to go with Metriaclima Pyrsonotos or Metriaclima Emmiltos. They are extremely similar, but I'm leaning toward Emmiltos.


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