# is this a borleyi?



## billh-stlmo (Jul 13, 2005)

A friend was transferred to Detroit and gave me his 75 gal cichlid tank, lock, stock, and barrel. There are 10 cichlids, 4 mbuna and 5 haps or peacocks, and one frontosa. Amazingly, there seems to be a balance of power and the fish in question is the dominant male, who keeps everyone line, although I don't think the other haps are as happy as they could be (dark bodies with yellow fins, acei?). I'm pretty sure this is a c. borleyi but want to make sure, six inches full grown. My only hesitation is that the profile for borleyi says "peaceful" and this fish is somewhat aggressive, although he is the largest in the tank. Bill H.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

No, it isn't a borleyi. Not sure what it is though.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

That is one weird hybrid IMO.


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

is that a male venustus?


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

sorry i missed the 6 inches part.


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## cater20155 (Jun 16, 2008)

Looks to possibly have some Red Empress in it, with the red in the fins and tail...


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## billh-stlmo (Jul 13, 2005)

cater20155 said:


> Looks to possibly have some Red Empress in it, with the red in the fins and tail...


Thanks that fits much better, and some of the p. taeniolatus profiles have yellow in the body, eg Chizumulu Islands . . .

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1240

also, "mildly aggressive" temperament fits, and one of the other haps I thought was a protomelas, and whom he bugs a lot, looks like a female red empress. He shall heretofore be named "Weird Hybrid" or "WH" for short.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

I could see it being a venestus x red empress hybrid.


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## Electrophyste (Aug 5, 2009)

i see victorian hap all over this guy possibly species 44 cross?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Electrophyste said:


> i see victorian hap all over this guy possibly species 44 cross?


That was one of the the things I thought as well. But if so, where did the elongate body AND the markings in the finnage come from?


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## billh-stlmo (Jul 13, 2005)

I'm going with the protomelas mix. does this look like the female? they relate like male and female . . .


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Yes, that looks like the same fish.


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## mr.species44 (Sep 6, 2009)

Aceii aren haps i believe they are mbuna and this big guy looks pretty victorian to me anyway. I dont think borleyi turn green at all


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## Electrophyste (Aug 5, 2009)

the markings in the tail look like some sot of peacock possible peacock/species 44 cross if it is a hybrid of some sort of peacock it will be IMPOSSIBLE to tell which one, but i am almost certain it is a species 44 hybrid.


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