# What type of African cichlid is this?



## dreyofaud (Feb 3, 2011)

Here are some pictures of what she used to look like.. She was a lot darker in color before. Kind of a dullish blue. She's the fish at the top of the first photo and in the center of the other.



















This is what she looks like now.. These photos are large, so I'll just post links to them.

http://i51.tinypic.com/33ygsjl.jpg

http://i52.tinypic.com/15hzqu0.jpg

http://i55.tinypic.com/rtnuxy.jpg

I am curious because I believe that she is holding eggs in her mouth. It must have been my dominant electric yellow (_Labidochromis caeruleus_) that mated with her. What is she? And what kind of fry should I expect?

Thanks!


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I guess I would guess a Metriaclima greshakei female or cross of such. Many greyshakei like fish in the hobby are not pure fish. Dunno really how to tell pure from impure if crossed with other Metriaclima or "Hongi". Only way is buy WC or see the parents. I guess it could have some or maybe mostly Labidochromis sp. "Hongi" in its make up which would make the cross already quite likely even more likely.
If you have no others of this type in the tank the fry will be Mbuna hybrids. Not unusual (or desirable) at all I am afraid. Most are a slightly drabber mix of what the adults looked like.

All the best James


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Definitely holding, no idea what she is, I'm terrible at ID'ing. 
Keep the fry or cull them, don't trade or sell.


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## dreyofaud (Feb 3, 2011)

Wow, thanks 24Tropheus! So you think she definitely looks like she's holding eggs? I've never had my cichlids spawn before.. it was an accident really. I just noticed for the past few days that she wasn't eating, was very protective of her cave and seemed to have something wrong with her mouth. I read up on spawning behaviors and noticed that the electric yellow had dug out a spawning pit on the other side of the tank. I thought he would have mated with the other yellow cichlid or even an orange one! I'll just keep however many fry survive, even if they're weird looking. I'm just excited to have fry!

Thanks for such a quick ID! She almost looks like she's supposed to be a _Labidochromis hongi_ of some sort.. probably a hybrid like you said. She varies in color a lot. Right now, she's almost rusty with lots of copper tones. It's hard to determine what her regular color is since she changes so much!


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## cichbillyia (Sep 11, 2010)

defnitately holding!


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

Man, I'm not seeing the "holding" you guys are. I have 2 female Ice Blue (greshakei) in my tanks, neither of mine have held, but I have had 4 other instances and that does not look like it's holding.

Just my 2Ã‚Â¢


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Pic 3 and 4 look like she is holding, unless she just happens to have a mouthful of pellets at the time.

She looks like one of the Red Top Zebra types in which Greshakei is the most common. It is hard to tell for sure.


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## dreyofaud (Feb 3, 2011)

No pellets there! She refuses them!


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## dreyofaud (Feb 3, 2011)

Her fry have emerged! There's about 20 of them. I'm so proud!


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

Grats! (And after I saw the pics that were linked, yes - I can see she was holding; I didnt see the links the first time through)


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