# ID help and clarification on Afra "Yellow-Blaze" please..



## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

Can anyone help give me a positive ID for this one? I bought 3 of them from a local breeder who calls them (Cynotilapia) Afra "Yellow-Blaze". I've not been able to find this exact terminology on this site or others. There have apparently been name changes, updates etc...and there are several very similar types based on collection points (??) Anyone have experience with these guys? These are the 2 best pics I could get (out of 20+ ), as they are pretty shy and their colors blend with surroundings. Thanks!
for any feedback!


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

I'm not sure what you've got.

Those pictures are pretty blurry, but those fish look a lot like rusties to me - Iodotropheus sprengerae... Do they have any barring or any markings that aren't showing in the photos?


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

Yes,.they do have vertical barring (faint),..and their base color lightens quickly when they get excited. This is the same fish in both pics and is definitely the darkest of the 3. You can see a light purple coming through sometimes also. The 2 bigger ones (maybe 2") both developed a light mark on their noses this week,..not sure if it is scratches from digging and scraping or coloration of some kind. They are great looking fish though,..cool personalities, but very hard to get to pose for pictures.

I know they aren't rusties, though they do have some of the same colors right now. I am confident they are Cynotilapia Afra (Afra may have recently been changed?)..and I have found the term Yellow-Blaze, but none seem to have decisive pictures of males and females in different stages. Im sure it well be easier to tell as they get older.


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

Yes, most of the Cynotilapia species have been renamed Cyno. zebroides (collection point). The white patch on the nose/upper lip is scarring from digging or fighting and is normal. Try to post more pics as they get older and more color develops, because right now it's going to be hard to get a good answer I think. Hopefully they'll become better models, too, so you can get some good photos!


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

Great info thanks! It's funny I can get a perfect pic of any of my Demasoni or Yellow-Labs at any time,..but these guys rarely turn to the side,..when I come to the tank they immediately face directly forward,..then I move to the side and they move. I need to plan a sneak attack! Not to mention their colors blend in bigtime,..especially in pictures.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

I don't think they are Cynotilapia. The "breeder" may be making stuff up.

Look like Labidochromis Hongi or Mbamba to me.

Petsmart has been calling Hongi as Afra... maybe they got the parents from Petsmart?


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## Ramseydog14 (Dec 31, 2013)

noki said:


> I don't think they are Cynotilapia. The "breeder" may be making stuff up.
> 
> Look like Labidochromis Hongi or Mbamba to me.
> 
> Petsmart has been calling Hongi as Afra... maybe they got the parents from Petsmart?


I've since found out that they are actually Cynotilapia zebroides (Nkhata Bay),..but the 2 you mentioned definitely look a lot like them at this age. Those pictures don't really do them justice either. Also found out the 'Afra' part was recently changed to Zebroides,..still Cynotilapia though. I added a couple of better pics in a thread of mine for ID help on the Malawi Cichlids part of this board if you want to check them out. Still not great pics though. Thanks for the input!

btw, the breeder I mentioned is kinda oldschool and isn't up on some of the name changes,..uses mainly common names.
He has 100x better quality and variety of Mbuna and Peacocks than any LFS here in Lex Ky. His Dad is a reputable longtime breeder so alot of his fish come from him.


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