# Red Zebras??



## earth intruder (Oct 14, 2008)

Could you help me ID the orangish guys in these photos? I was guessing Red Zebra, but I'm a complete novice and would appreciate some help. Thank you!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/305 ... 57.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/305 ... bc.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3211/305 ... e3.jpg?v=0


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## Crazy4Fish (Nov 22, 2008)

The 2 red ones are Red Zebras:
The Yellow one is a Yellow Lab
The 2 Blue ones are a Blue morph of the the Red Zebra
And the other Blue one is a Blue Morph of the Golden Malawi Cichlid.
:fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

Orange ones are _Metriaclima estherae_ (Red Zebra).

The blue one is not a blue morph of the golden Malawi cichlid, whatever that is, rather it's a _Metriaclima lombardoi_ (Kenyi).


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## Crazy4Fish (Nov 22, 2008)

WRONG! :x the Red One is Pseudotropheus estherae NOT Metriaclima estherae! :wink:


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## Crazy4Fish (Nov 22, 2008)

And also if you look closely at the it, it is clearly a blue color morph of the golden malawi.

Here is a picture of the golden malawi, now compair it to the picture
http://www.aqua-fish.net/imgs/fish/mala ... rofile.jpg


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Agree with Metriaclima lombardoi (Kenyi)
Are there two or more orange guys as one photo looks lombardoi male like the others look estherae like.
I am not entering the Pseudotropheus/Metroclima/Maylanda debate please.
There is also a Melanochromis in the first shot not sure which species though.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Crazy4Fish said:


> And also if you look closely at the it, it is clearly a blue color morph of the golden malawi.
> 
> Here is a picture of the golden malawi, now compair it to the picture
> http://www.aqua-fish.net/imgs/fish/mala ... rofile.jpg


Are you looking at the last pic the OP posted???

It's a Metriaclima lombardoi. The picture you have posted is a Melanochromis auratus...Not even in the same genus. :-?

And, the orange fish _are_ Metriaclima estherae. :thumb:


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Crazy4Fish said:


> And also if you look closely at the it, it is clearly a blue color morph of the golden malawi.
> 
> Here is a picture of the golden malawi, now compair it to the picture
> http://www.aqua-fish.net/imgs/fish/mala ... rofile.jpg


There is no blue morph of Melanochromis auratus.

The first picture contains a Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos, I think. The fish looks to be less than 2", which makes it more likely to be that, then johanni at that stage. That is the dark blue fish with somewhat horizontal stripes.

There is a fish that could be a Metriaclima estherae in the picture, but the colouration looks a bit off, and it could be a hybrid. It is the pinkish fish in the first picture and the second picture.

The light blue fish with vertical bars is Metriaclima lombardoi.

The blue fish with the reddish dorsal in pic two is likely Metriaclima greshakei.

There appears to be a Peacock hybrid (pinkish) in the background of pic 1.

The yellow fish is indeed Labidochromis caeruleus.


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

I concur with every one of Fogelhunds assessments, right on the mark.


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## Crazy4Fish (Nov 22, 2008)

:x ARE YOU ALL BLIND! look at the first photo, middle left.
The clearly is a Blue Morph Melanochromis auratus.

How the ******* do you know their is no Blue Melanochromis auratus?
The markings are very much the same! :-? 
:fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## earth intruder (Oct 14, 2008)

24Tropheus - yes, there are two "orange guys," I had assumed they were the same species so I didn't clarify... Do you think otherwise? (There's a kind of orangish peacock in the background of pic 1, but I wasn't referring to him.) Also, regarding the male lombardoi suggestion - I didn't think they'd be showing orange coloration so small... They're less than 2 inches long?

Fogelhund - The one you IDed as Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos was sold as electric blue johanni and is indeed a couple inches long. And I'm interested to hear your suggestion that the guy in pic 2 is greshakei, because I hadn't had him IDed yet, but that's exactly what he looked like to me. And yes, there's a peacock in there unfortunately... My LFS doesn't distinguish between the peacocks and mbuna, and because I'm such a novice I didn't know any better. I'll be upgrading my mbuna to a 75 gal very soon, and the peacocks will remain in the current tank.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Crazy4Fish said:


> :x ARE YOU ALL BLIND! look at the first photo, middle left.
> The clearly is a Blue Morph Melanochromis auratus.
> 
> How the ******* do you know their is no Blue Melanochromis auratus?
> ...


There *IS* an auratus in one of the pictures.

There is *NO* blue morph of Melanochromis auratus. You may be confusing it with Melanochromis dialeptos, but there isn't one of those in the OP's pics.

You need to check your pm's, Crazy4Fish.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

earth intruder, it is possible for a lombardoi to initiate colour change at less than two inches. He may fluctuate back and forth for awhile before he holds full male colouration. :thumb:

The one fish looks like it might be a greshakei to me, as well. They are one of the more commonly available mbuna in LFS that don't specialize in cichlids, but you'll probably have to wait until he's full grown to know for sure!

I'm not sure what size tank these fish are in, but it's a pretty volatile mix which will become even more volatile as they mature, so I would get that 75G up and running ASAP. (You may still find you have problems with the auratus and kenyi in that sized tank!)


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## earth intruder (Oct 14, 2008)

Wait... Where is the auratus? ^^^


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## Joea (May 25, 2004)

earth intruder said:


> Wait... Where is the auratus? ^^^


There isn't one. The picture Crazy4Fish provided as a "Golden Malawi Cichlid" is a _Melanochromis auratus_. He posted it claiming that it is a Golden version of the blue fish in your first picture, which is likely a _Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos_ or a hybrid thereof. I ID'd the fish in question and left the others alone. I ID'd the _Metriaclima lombardoi_ because that's the fish I thought Crazy4Fish was ID'ing as a blue morph of the "Golden Malawi Cichlid". I was hoping to clear up any confusion rather than create more. Regardless of all this, "Golden Malawi Cichlid" is some type of quasi-trade name and just goes to show why scientific names are far easier to deal with in the grand scheme of things.

Incidentally, _Metriaclima estherae_ were once in the Pseudotropheus genus, as almost all mbuna once were. But further research and reclassification has divided them up into different genus'. They have been in the Metriaclima genus for several years now.



Crazy4Fish said:


> How the ******* do you know their is no Blue Melanochromis auratus?


The same way we know there is no red _Labidochromis caeruleus_... there just isn't.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Well, I'm obviously confused. :roll:

I'm sorry, earth intruder, I was looking at another group of fish id pics with a group almost identical to yours, and when I saw the confusion over the "blue morph", I thought the pics were yours.

The kenyi may be a problem in a 75G, hopefully not!

And sorry to add to the confusion!


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## earth intruder (Oct 14, 2008)

No problem cichlidaholic, I'm just grateful for all the help I've gotten on here!

Thanks everyone!


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## Crazy4Fish (Nov 22, 2008)

Sorry Every one  My Mistake. it is a Melanochromis dialeptos =D>


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Crazy4Fish said:


> Sorry Every one  My Mistake. it is a Melanochromis dialeptos =D>


Sorry, can't agree with that, and stand with my original Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos.


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## earth intruder (Oct 14, 2008)

I think he looks like cyaneorhabdos....

Here's a better pic:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3062/305 ... ca.jpg?v=0


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

earth intruder, he/she is either a M. cyaneorhabdos, or M. johanni, or a mix between the two (possibly even M. interruptus in there...)

After seeing this last pic, I don't think he's pure cyaneorhabdos...There seem to be some vertical bars running through the horizontal stripes, and with a nice quality cyaneorhabdos, you wouldn't see this.

Don't feel all alone, though...While it may be a pure M. johanni, if it's not, it's no surprise. It's getting increasingly hard to find pure species of any of the 3 I've mentioned.


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