# 1 AM NEEDING 2ND OPINION



## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS (Mar 15, 2008)

hello, i am needing a 2nd opinion on this fish.

i first posted about this fish back on 3-16-08, was in a mixed africans tank.
here are the original 2 photos i had posted...

sometimes i looked like this:










and other times i looked like this:










this is what people said they thought he/she was:

opinion #1: looks more to me like a male cynotilapia sp. of some type...possibly cynotilapia sp "Black Eastern" or cynotilapia ap. "Mbweca"

opinion #2: It is a Sciaenchromis fryeri, possibly a hybrid, most definately has been hormoned in the past.

opinion #3: was told to me by lfs: a female afra another employee said no some sort of hybrid peacock.

but i now look different than original photos and would love to repost this fish to see if any opinions change or if it is indeed the fryeri. here are the new pics: lots of them but all are of the same fish.
































































the top fin is now orange where before it was yellow.

he/she now is always light colored but the barring darkens sometimes.
the anal fins have a blue tint to them but appear to be white.

also male or female? thanks! :thumb:


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

> opinion #2: It is a Sciaenchromis fryeri, possibly a hybrid, most definately has been hormoned in the past.


Agree with #2, and being a hybrid.


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## BenHugs (Jan 13, 2007)

Looks like it could have some lithobates in the mix


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## JBS (Feb 27, 2008)

How old is this fish? I can't really tell from the front shots if the eyes look like they are bulging but it kinda looks like a young Taiwan Reef.


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS (Mar 15, 2008)

well when i first got him he was about 1 1/2-2 inches he is now about 3 inches. 
and i never really noticed the eyes before but they do stick out more on the top then the bottom kinda like this......... \ / .......... he also grew more of an arched back the he used to have, it used to be more flat. kinda like this....... l .........now it's more like this ......... ) .............

hope this helps!


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## JBS (Feb 27, 2008)

Well, he kinda looks quite a bit like the reefs i have. And it would be about right for the size they are now. 
when young, Reefs have black strips down the sides with for lack of a better term, blotches in between them. They make an H pattern in the stripes. HHH
You'll need one of the experts to tell you for sure but if it is, it's a beautiful fish that gets to about 8". It is also a herbivore.
Look in the library. They have some good pictures of these.


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS (Mar 15, 2008)

yep i checked it out! and i do see quite a bit of resemblance in the juvie pics. although the H is not quite as pronounced. and this fish has a slit of orange on that top fin. does that matter? cause the juvies i seen didnt really have any color at all.

that is if this is the fish you were speaking of.

Protomelas sp. "Steveni Taiwan" (Taiwanee Reef)


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

This fish is clearly not a Protomelas sp. "Steveni Taiwan"

It is probably an Aulonocara mixed with Scieno. fryeri, as sugessted before.


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS (Mar 15, 2008)

o.k.... i am just gonna call it a hybrid female and leave it at that. but because she is a female i am gonna have to get rid of her cause this is an all male tank, cant have 1 female with a bunch of males.

it is a female right? considering the lack of color!


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Seems female. Doesn't seem like a male, but i suppose it might be posssible that it is suppressed. If you keep it with Mbuna it may not color up anyway.

Unless you feel sorry for it, I wouldn't keep it.


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## FAMILYOFFISHLOVERS (Mar 15, 2008)

noki said:


> Seems female. Doesn't seem like a male, but i suppose it might be posssible that it is suppressed. If you keep it with Mbuna it may not color up anyway.


there is 1 mbuna in there an m. interuptous. which i am not keeping either. maybe i will get rid of the mbuna first then see if this girl/guy colors up, if she /he don't then I'll know it's a girl.

i don't really feel sorry for her, i do not mind hybrids really, but what i do hate is when they sell it as 1 thing and it turns out to be a hybrid. but i did like her she is so mellow, doesn't bother anyone, but if anyone comes near her she flares all her fins at them. she would eat the food right out of my hand. but unfortunately if she does turn out to be a girl i cannot keep her cause as they mature the tank would get way to aggressive everyone fighting over this 1 girl, right?


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