# plz help identify this fish



## amazonfriend (Aug 15, 2006)

not sure what my fish is. I would love your suggestions.
my lfs suggested: Aequidens metae cichlid/ yellow acara/ two spot. after doing some research the Aequidens metae cichlid only get about 4-5 inches. my guy is 8+ inches.


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## bluejack23 (Jan 23, 2012)

Cool fish but no idea. I hope someone knows!


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## amazonfriend (Aug 15, 2006)

thanks. 
hopefully someone will have a suggestion.


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

Answered in the ID section, 8 inches is not uncommon for _metae, diadema, or pallidus_. Most hobbyists would be hard put to tell the three apart. I'd post the photo at cichlidae.com forums to get expert opinion if you really need to know exactly which species it is.


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## airjaff (Aug 15, 2012)

true parrot cichlid?


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## qbsztyk1 (Aug 25, 2011)

It is _Aequidens sp._ "Jenaro Herrera," so-called Peruvian Diadema.


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## thejam20 (Jun 18, 2007)

looks like Acaronia trimaculata, Saddle cichlid


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Chromedome52 said:


> _metae, diadema, or pallidus_.


+1
One of these 3 Aequidens species. As Chromedome mentions, very difficult to distinguish between them.


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## amazonfriend (Aug 15, 2006)

I have done some additional info searching, it seems to be Aequidens sp. "Jenaro Herrera" but I can't find much info about it. a close 2nd is the Aequidens diadema BUT several different sources profile the A. diadema as the max size as 4-5 inches. mine is over 8 inches. I have not been able to locate the fish profile fir the Jenaro Herrera anywhere online in English.
I am pretty excited to have such a unique fish. he is in w/ Severums and hopefully I will add a geo when I find the right one. I think they would do good together (6ft tank)

Thank You Very much for your info! This is very exciting!


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

qbsztyk1 said:


> It is _Aequidens sp._ "Jenaro Herrera," so-called Peruvian Diadema.


Or that. http://www.cichlidae.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=13683


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

amazonfriend said:


> A. diadema as the max size as 4-5 inches. mine is over 8 inches.


Aqualog South American cichlids 3 lists A. daidema at 18-20 cm(7-8"), A. metae at 20 cm (8"), A. pallidus male at 25cm (10"), and A. sp. "Jenaro Herrera" at 15 cm (6").

Bear in mind that when a fish is not commonly kept, you quite often find a max. size listed somewhere based on someone having kept the fish for a short period of time.....because there are just not a lot of people that have kept them for many years!


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## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

Sp. "Jenaro Herrera" is another in that complex, may be undescribed or might be a population of one of the others. Aqualog sizes are given by Bernie, and the Baensch atlas give 20-25cm as the max size for all these species. Any online source that says less is just a copy and paste job from some other site, or left a default size in the form for their profiles. I would ask that this site update their profiles on these species, as they give a 4" max, which is actually the size where these fish start reproducing.

I've always found data of this nature is better researched in books than online. There are too many sites trying to look "expert" that repeat the same errors because they've copied from others.


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## montellp (Jun 9, 2012)

Aequidens diadema aka royal acara [not my fish]


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## montellp (Jun 9, 2012)

I'm pretty shore


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## jonjoker (Jan 14, 2012)

looks like a. metae to me...


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