# Help with ID please?



## Kyuuketsuki (Feb 6, 2010)

So I've had this fish for a few weeks now and when I purchased him, they told me I was getting a young male sciaenochromis ahli (he is supposed to be a gift for my brother this weekend), but now that he is a little bigger (about two inches long now) he still looks nothing like the Ahli I'm used to. The top of his head is bright yellow when he is feeling spunky. A friend told me that they are positive the fish is a young male Otopharynx lithobates. What do you think? Thanks in advance and I appologize for the poor quality of the photo but my phone is the only camera I have. Hopefully it will be clear enough for you all to see. Thanks.


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## Ronny_M (Jan 8, 2009)

Kind of looks like a sulphur crested lithobate


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## Kyuuketsuki (Feb 6, 2010)

Thanks for your input. That is what a friend told me too.


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## Kyuuketsuki (Feb 6, 2010)

Ok, I have better pictures now so hopefully I'll get some more input. Thanks in advanced.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Hard to say, he seems to have (or have had) the juvenile spots of a Otopharynx lithobates but also the stripes of a juvenile Sciaenochromis fryeri or Aulonocara. Prob will look real fine as an adult but not sure if he is pure Otopharynx lithobates.

All the best James


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Looks like a hybrid to me as well.


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## mr.species44 (Sep 6, 2009)

Looks like a young hap ali to me my three look alot like it


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

The "Hap ahli" name is an old trade name for Scieanochromis fryeri. There really aren't any known real Scieanochromis ahli in the trade. A few are brought in under that name, but they usually turn out to be a different type of Scieanochromis.

This fish has the wrong shape for a good fryeri, (too short bodied, for the height) and might also be hormoned. The blaze being yellowish either points to a lithobates hybrid, or it could be the hormones.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Sadly all to common here in the UK too for fish from LFSs not to be as labeled but hybrid imports.
I am guessing it is the same in the US?
They get into the hobby very quickly and are hard to ID as they can be back bred to one of their pairent species. Fogelhund (strange handle I often wonder how it came about) seems rather good at spotting em for folk when they post pics. :thumb:

(Hybrids are I think not a problem if one just wants a nice looking fish but a problem if you want to breed em and label em up right)

All the best James


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

*Off topic alert. * :lol:



24Tropheus said:


> Fogelhund (strange handle I often wonder how it came about)


Fogelhund is the kennel name of my German Short-Haired Pointer. When I first joined forums back in 99', I couldn't think of anything else, and the name stuck. Fogelhund was used by the breeder, as the German Vogelhund was already used, and I understand Fogelhund is also acceptable. It's English translation is Bird Dog.

Our GSP came from www.fogelhund.com

This is Foster, our GSP.


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## Gibbs (Apr 21, 2008)

Im going to call you Bird Dog from now on :lol:

Strangly i also always wondered why your handle was Fogelhund :thumb:


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## Kyuuketsuki (Feb 6, 2010)

Thank you all for your detailed replies. This will definitely help my brother decide where to house him (right now his roommates are some young venustus of the same size) and if he turns out to be hybrid, not to breed him.

Oh yeah, and nice picture foguelhund. That is a beautiful Pointer.


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## Kyuuketsuki (Feb 6, 2010)

Its been a couple of months and my little guy has gotten a bit bigger. This is what he looks like now. Just an update.


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

Hmmm... In the younger pictures my guess was also some type of "Hap ahli" Scieanochromis fryeri hybrid. But now for some reason I see a little more Peacock in HIM as he has grown. Could be Some type of Peacock hybrid. Hard to say but def doesn't look to pure to me.


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

Hmmm... In the younger pictures my guess was also some type of "Hap ahli" Scieanochromis fryeri hybrid. But now for some reason I see a little more Peacock in HIM as he has grown. Could be Some type of Peacock hybrid. Hard to say but def doesn't look to pure to me.


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

Hmmm... In the younger pictures my guess was also some type of "Hap ahli" Scieanochromis fryeri hybrid. But now for some reason I see a little more Peacock in HIM as he has grown. Could be Some type of Peacock hybrid. Hard to say but def doesn't look to pure to me.


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

Hmmm... In the younger pictures my guess was also some type of "Hap ahli" Scieanochromis fryeri hybrid. But now for some reason I see a little more Peacock in HIM as he has grown. Could be Some type of Peacock hybrid. Hard to say but def doesn't look to pure to me.


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

Hmmm... In the younger pictures my guess was also some type of "Hap ahli" Scieanochromis fryeri hybrid. But now for some reason I see a little more Peacock in HIM as he has grown. Could be Some type of Peacock hybrid. Hard to say but def doesn't look to pure to me.


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

Hmmm... In the younger pictures my guess was also some type of "Hap ahli" Scieanochromis fryeri hybrid. But now for some reason I see a little more Peacock in HIM as he has grown. Could be Some type of Peacock hybrid. Hard to say but def doesn't look to pure to me.


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## bearded lab (Apr 28, 2010)

A sextuple post! :lol:


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## ricoo21 (Jun 3, 2010)

looks like a ngara flametail to me!


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