# Need help ID'ing some adopted malawi's



## DrDoom (Mar 1, 2010)

I just adopted a bunch of malawi cichlids and there are a few that I am having trouble identifying. Any help would be appreciated.


----------



## DrDoom (Mar 1, 2010)

1) Melanochromis of some type. Person I got them from said it is a johannii, but I am not 100% sure.










2) Labidochromis Mbamba? The pictures aren't too great, but he has dark blue and black vertical stripes and bright yellow on the dorsal & pelvic fins.



















3) Metriaclima Msobo?










4) Not sure










5) I am thinking this one is some kind of hybrid... Looks somewhat like a greshakei, but has some weird coloration and the body shape is odd...


----------



## DrDoom (Mar 1, 2010)

Some additional info for #5. The picture doesn't show it too well, but the body coloration has a purple tint and there is no visable striping as far as I can see. His dorsal is bright orange and his head & face have an orange tint. His gill plates are reddish/purple and he has some freckles on the sides of his head.


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

1. Either a poorly bred Melanchromis johanni, interruptus or a hybrid of one of the above.
2. Labeotropheus hybrid... possibly with a Metriaclima type fish.
3. Pseudotropheus elongatus complex fish.
4. Copadichromis borleyi Kadango
5. Iodotropheus sprengerae ( I think )


----------



## DrDoom (Mar 1, 2010)

Thanks Fogelhund!


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Fogelhund said:


> 1. Either a poorly bred Melanchromis johanni, interruptus or a hybrid of one of the above.
> 2. Labeotropheus hybrid... possibly with a Metriaclima type fish.
> 3. Pseudotropheus elongatus complex fish.
> 4. Copadichromis borleyi Kadango
> 5. Iodotropheus sprengerae ( I think )


Think that is pretty much my guesses too.
2 Think so not sure but for sure not sure enough to guess something else. Hybrids are hard.
3 (quite elongatus ornatus like)
Is that a Convict cichlid behind the Copadichromis and a Jewel cichlid behind the I guess Iodotropheus?

All the best James


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

24Tropheus said:


> Is that a Convict cichlid behind the Copadichromis and a Jewel cichlid behind the I guess Iodotropheus?
> 
> All the best James


Looks like it to me.


----------



## DrDoom (Mar 1, 2010)

Yes. The person I got all these fish from didn't quite understand that not all cichlids belong in the same tank. The convict and the jewel will be getting rehomed shortly.


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

DrDoom said:


> Yes. The person I got all these fish from didn't quite understand that not all cichlids belong in the same tank. The convict and the jewel will be getting rehomed shortly.


Actually, as single fish, they should be ok in the tank if you like them. The problems with the convict and jewel would be if there were more than one, and they paired up.


----------



## DrDoom (Mar 1, 2010)

Here is a better picture of #5.










Here is another one that I could use an ID on. He was hiding too much yesterday to get a good picture, but he is out and about now.


----------



## DrDoom (Mar 1, 2010)

Any thoughts on the last 2?


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I think Iodotropheus has proved right for the first of the last two.
Think the bottom one is a Metriaclima I think zebra of some sort. May not be a pure variant and variants hard to ID (well at least for me)

All the best James


----------



## DrDoom (Mar 1, 2010)

Thanks 24Tropheus.

I didn't think that Iodotropheus could be that purplish. The ones I have seen before have just been orange/brownish.

Eventually these adopted fish will end up living with my existing fish when I upgrade to a 125+ tank this spring. Currently they are living in separate tanks. I just want to make sure I don't have any major compatability issues when I combine the two groups...


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I guess I should say the bottom one is almost a total guess. I could even have the genus wrong. Think it could be a Labidochromis sp. or a Labidochromis x Metriaclima. So many similar looking Mbuna to that guy about I think.

All the best James


----------



## DrDoom (Mar 1, 2010)

Yeah, which is why I can't figure it out :lol:

The picture doesn't show it, but he has a lavender tint to him if that helps at all.


----------

