# Please help ID fish!



## tiffany89 (Jul 24, 2013)

First one::


















Here is the two fish together










And this is the other one::


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## LDeVose2 (Aug 7, 2013)

I have seen the smaller one, but forgot what it was called.

Is the larger one a bumblebee? The color reproduction makes it harder to discern.


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

I'm sorry I can't help u but the second pic isn't an Bumble bee cichlid, I think it's most likely a south or Central American cichlid.


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

I'm only making educated guesses as new world cichlids aren't my cup of tea, but I think the first one might be H. nicaraguensis, http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=68. The second one looks to me like a young midas cichlid - http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=2322. I imagine that as seems to be the case frequently with new world cichlids, the scientific names may not be accurate any longer...

Chromedome or BC will come along and correct me I'm sure, but hey - you can't learn if you never try, right?


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

The first fish superficially resembles _Hypsophrys_, but the lateral band is sitting too low. It could be a very skinny specimen of one of the _Vieja/Paratheraps_ group, but appears to have characteristics of more than one species. It could well be a hybrid of some sort.

The second fish also presents a similar quandary. It has coloration of _Amphilophus_, but body shape seems _Paratheraps_. Perhaps BC can pin it down as something specific, he knows the various population differences on some of these fish much better than I do.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Mr Chromedome said:


> Perhaps BC can pin it down as something specific, he knows the various population differences on some of these fish much better than I do.


Well, no. They look like Veij/Paratheraps hybrids to me. I even doubt the first one has any nicarguensis in it as aposed to Veija/Paratheraps. cant say exactly what they are other then CA cichlid hybrid.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Mr Chromedome said:


> It could be a very skinny specimen of one of the _Vieja/Paratheraps_ group,


Well, about the most elongated Veija/Paratheraps, at least at a younger age, would be the 'pink' form of _Paratheraps fenestratus_. It sort of looks like the fish is undergoing an metamorphosis like a midas cichlid -type.(orangish color around the eye, face and dorsal fin). 'Pink' form of fenestratus does this as well, at an early age. Not certain that is what it is, but if the fish continues to change to an orangish color, that might be a good indication that is what it is. More time and some new , better pictures might make it more obvious what exactly the fish is.

Still can't find any match for the other fish. With that tail and tail spot, it definitely has Veija/Paratheraps in it.


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## walzon1 (Jun 17, 2013)

This looks to me like Mayan hybrid, maybe vieja x mayan


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

BC in SK said:


> Still can't find any match for the other fish. With that tail and tail spot, it definitely has Veija/Paratheraps in it.


Maybe some better pictures might help. It is difficult to be certain with many Veija/Paratheraps as they often are highly variable from individual to individual, and hybrids are often sold at many LFS..... but then sometimes they get labeled a hybrid by default because the pictures are poor, or we are just unfamiliar with all the variants.

Maybe they are both fenestratus (?). Both the fish seem to have resemblance to the 'Catemaco' strain, but really I am not too sure. Bear in mind, even the 'pink' form is highly variable in terms of coloration. Here is a video showing a 'normal' colored female and a male that has undergone a full transition to 'pink':




Maybe with time and some better pictures, we can get a more definite ID.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

First guy for sure has me scratching my head in puzzelment.

Erm just an idea but couldn't the second simply be a uncommon _Tomocichla sp._ Maybe _sieboldii _?


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Forget I said that please. Just seen the vid. BC is I think now spot on as usual.


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