# Purple Cichlid



## PitBully (Apr 14, 2009)

Does anyone know of any purple Malawi cichlids?? I'm aware of Acei, but the ones I've seen have been really pale looking. Perhaps my LFS have poorly bred ones?

TIA


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

Rustys (Iodotropheus sprengerae) have very nice purplish sides if you can find some nice ones.


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## PitBully (Apr 14, 2009)

iceblue said:


> Rustys (Iodotropheus sprengerae) have very nice purplish sides if you can find some nice ones.


Oh yeah, I forgot about the rustys. My LFS around here usually have poorly bred fish. I'll check online, thanks!


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## kjhydock (Apr 28, 2009)

The pale Aceis will usually color up once they are well cared for. Mine range anywhere from violet to black, with the dominate generally staying very near black. All except for 1 of them were pale and silver when purchased from the LFS.


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

My male Labeotropheus Fuelleborni (Katale) is purplish. Females are OB.


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## kodyboy (Dec 9, 2007)

male labidichromis mabamba are very purple.


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## copasetic (Nov 26, 2007)

cyno afra(mbenji).. the females are a very nice purple and the male is blue with black bars..


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

There is another c. afra that is quite purple. I think it is the Likoma variant - The male has darker purple plus light blue vertical bars and the females are a more solid purple. I'm just remembering from pictures I've seen.


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

Kanorin said:


> My male Labeotropheus Fuelleborni (Katale) is purplish. Females are OB.


Katale are a blue/orange coloration, I wouldn't say they get very purplish.

[not my photo, just a good example from Google's image search]









_C. afra_ Lupingu males vary between purple (calm) and light blue (excited).

[same male, different moods]

















_C._ sp. "Lion" Lion's Cove coloration can vary between golden brown and purple - it seems to vary with the bloodline.

[two brothers]

















Another "Lion"-type, the ones from Cape Kaiser and Lupingu both display varying amounts of purple.

[Cape Kaiser male]


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

C. afra Lupingu, that's the one I was thinking of!

Why_spyder - The picture you linked of the fuelleborni (katale) is almost definitely of a male when he is in full breeding color. When that happens they do light up to an electric blue. But 90% of the time, they have a more purplish sheen to them. It may be hard to convey that through photos, but maybe you can see it more in this picture of my male:


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

I wish I had better photos of my standard males, but mine show the clear blue/orange at all times (unless dullin' colors to avoid a beatin' from a bigger male).


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

I guess I may have a more purpler? strain than you do. Alternatively, my male is not fully grown. Maybe they get more blue and less purple as they age?


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

My males are closer to 4" now, but have been colored up as such since 3". It could very well be the bloodline/strain - there is always some variance of coloration within a species.


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