# Apisto agassizi, blue acara, or something else?



## gryffin (Feb 11, 2008)

Two different sales people at my local fish store identified this fish as a blue acara which is what I was looking for. Because the tank was labeled as containing only flying fox and apisto agassizi, I decided to call the store during the day to try to verify that it was indeed a blue acara. The sales person in the store at that time said that it the only cichlids in the tank that I bought the fish from were apisto agassizi.

These fish had just arrived in the store a few days before I bought mine. It is currently about 1.25 inches long.

It is grey with rough black vertical bars on its side as with a bit of a faint horizontal stripe. It has blue veining on its face- ranging between aqua and periwinkle in color.

Here are some pictures of my fish:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff12 ... 7_0384.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff12 ... 7_0382.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff12 ... ited-1.jpg

Here are some pictures I took of others at the store today with my phone:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff12 ... G00083.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff12 ... G00086.jpg

Thanks for any help in identifying this fish!


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## SinisterKisses (Feb 24, 2004)

It's an apisto for sure. I don't know much about the individual species, but it looks like a "blue steel" variant to me - which I believe is a hybrid? I know there are a couple species that look similar though, so someone who knows more about them can give you a better idea.


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## lotsofish (Feb 28, 2008)

This is a picture of my blue acara:


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

The pics are too fuzzy to properly id... in some shots, I'd say it's the hybrid "Steel Blue" while in other shots, I see a glimmer of hope that it's not that one. Do you have a more clear shot?

It would be best of the fish were not so stressed looking.


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## gryffin (Feb 11, 2008)

I'll try to get some sharper pics tonight. I think you may be right though- I did some surfing and found some pics of the hybrid "Steel Blue". They sure look like my fish, but I'd still appreciate your opinion after I get sharper pics.

The fish store has offered to give me credit if I return the fish since it was sold to me as a Blue Acara.


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