# Need Malawi ID's Please (GOOD PICTURES)



## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for all your help in advance. Sooo the other day I went to my local
Petco to buy filter media, chemicals, etc... I noticed a approx 55 gallon tank
FULL of Malawi Cichlids... There had to be at least 100-150 Mixed Malawis
packed in there. Come to find out local guy got sick of them and donated. Long
story short, they were all up for grabs for free. There were Haps, Peacocks, Mbuna
everything! I grabbed a few random guys just to grow out for fun. And threw 
them into one of my mixed catch all tanks.

Sooo just want to make sure my guesses are right!
If anyone has an Idea on sex of these guys please feel
free to throw that out there too...

1.) Metriaclima Estherae (OB) 
Orange Blotch Zebra...?

































2.) Labeotropheus Trewavasae
Red Top Trewavasae...?

























3.) Cyrtocara Moorii
Blue Dolphin....?

























4.) Pseudotropheus Polit
Polit...(MALE)...?

































5.)Pseudotropheus sp. Polit
Polit... (FEMALE)...?








(The Brown one in the Top Right...)

If Anyone has questions or anything let me know. Please help me
with Positively ID These Malawi cichlids. See if my guesses are right.

-Matty P


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## electyellowdude (Feb 18, 2010)

weird looking polit.


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

The "I think" Polit Male fits the description. He is usually a grayish Off White. And when he is fighting or trying to Mate He Turns BRIGHT WHITE with a little blue. He is a reallly cool/fun fish to watch change colors instantly. He is about 2" and has 4 "I think" Females to play with that he is breeding with already.


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## Melanochromis (Mar 30, 2005)

1. Likely to be Metriaclima Estherae x Labeotropheus OB hybrid
2. Labeotropheus Trewavasae
3. Cyrtocara Moorii 
4. Male Pseudotropheus Polit
5. Likely to be Metriaclima Estherae x Labeotropheus OB hybrid


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

Awsome! Looks like my guesses were right so far.
Thanks for your response.

For 5.) I am talking about the little brown cichlid in the top
right hand corner of the picture. Not the OB Zebra.
Are Polit females Brown/grayish Solid Color...?


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

DOES ANYONE HAVE GUESS ON SEX...?
EXPECIALLY THE OB ZEBRA AND RED TOP...?


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

Yes, polit females are a grayish brown color. It is tough to tell from that picture for certain but that appears to be a female polit. The mouth will be on the small side for a mbuna and the lips will be a lighter color.

BTW, the OB is outstanding! And I disagree with the assesment on hybrid with Labeotropheus. Might be a hybrid but not with Labeotropheus in my opinion.

As for sexes: You know the polits, the moorii is likely female unless it is very small, the OB would likely have to be vented, the Labeotropheus looks young, but some of that look have OB females and blue males.


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

I am going to get you some more pictures of the OB Zebra he/she looks sooo much
more colored up now the its been in the tank settled in for 1 week now. The OB Zebra 
looks sooooooo goood in person its a great looking fish.

Could this "OB Zebra" Possibly be a "Metriaclima Mbenjii"....? I have never even heard
of this fish, but I was shopping on Aquabid.com and came across this posting Dykemyster's
Fish that is and EXACT Replica of my fish I have that I and Temporarily calling and OB Zebra...?
Does anyone know anything about the type of fish "Metriaclima Mbenjii" Does anyone keep these?

THANK YOU!

Link to AquaBid > http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/ ... 1271347802

Heres the pictures from Dykemyster's Fish labeled:

"Metriaclima Mbenjii"


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

The OB Zebra. Don't know if you could guess an exact race. I would doubt that it is Estherae. If male, will continue to get more of a blue tint. A Metriaclima "Mbenjii" male should have somewhat of a reddish dorsal, or yours does not.

That Labeotropheus does not look like a typical Red Top Trewavasae, should have some sign of a red dorsal by now, and that race is very elongated and yours is not so much.

The pic of the female "Polit" is not good enough. It is hard to ID drab females as it is.


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

These pictures were taken the day I intriduced them to the tank and they were stressed.
I will take new pictures tomorrow and post for a more accurate description of what they
actually are.

The OB Zebra does indeed have a reddish tint to his dorsal fin, and he looks EXACTLY like that picture of the "Mbenjii". Although I have never seen or hear of one before I founf that pictures.

And as for the Red Top Trewavasae, it is 1.5inches lol maybe 2: but pushing it. And It also now has Red Outlining on all Fin's and solid Red coloring/tint on lower fins. I was thinking he/she was just to young for top fin to be completely red by now.

THANKS FOR HELP GUYS!

More opinions would def help out a lot!


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

These pictures were taken the day I introduced them to the tank and they were stressed.
I will take new pictures tomorrow and post for a more accurate description of what they
actually are.

The OB Zebra does indeed have a reddish tint to his dorsal fin, and he looks EXACTLY like that picture of the "Mbenjii". Although I have never seen or hear of one before I founf that pictures.

And as for the Red Top Trewavasae, it is 1.5inches lol maybe 2: but pushing it. And It also now has Red Outlining on all Fin's and solid Red coloring/tint on lower fins. I was thinking he/she was just to young for top fin to be completely red by now.

THANKS FOR HELP GUYS!

More opinions would def help out a lot!


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

Anyone have anymore ideas about this fish...?


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