# Please HELP Identify (pic)



## Innocent (Jan 5, 2010)

My friend bought this little guy at the LPS as an "Electric Blue", and was told it was a carnivore. However, he doesn't seem to like any of the food he's being offered.
Who is he?? So he can be properly cared for? My friend is very concerned about him!


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## Sickaqua (Feb 27, 2011)

I would not say electric blue, lean more towards a "powder blue" (pseudotropheus socolofi) I have one of those and it looks close but egg spots are different color, need a better pic. Also, what are you feeding it now? May be a Maylandia callainos (Cobalt Blue)?


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## dielikemoviestars (Oct 23, 2007)

Not even close to a socolofi. Nor a callainos.

It's a mbuna, which means it's an herbivore. A diet with more than 35% protein will give it bloat. Feed it a high-quality veggie based fish food or actual vegetables (peas, lettuce, zucchini...)


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

dielikemoviestars said:


> Not even close to a socolofi. Nor a callainos.
> 
> It's a mbuna, which means it's an herbivore.


I agree it isn't a socolofi or a pure callainos... it might be a mixed fish with callainos.

Note, being a mbuna, doesn't mean it is a herbivore at all... common and incorrect misconception.


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## SinisterKisses (Feb 24, 2004)

I almost wonder if it might be something like a callainos mixed with some Labeotropheus.

And yes...not all mbuna are herbivores at all. There are a number of species that are omnivores, and even a couple carnivores in there.


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## Lexxyia (Mar 1, 2011)

Hey Innocent,
Thanks for posting my pic up on the forum. I have a few more pics of him so I'm going to try to post them now.. let's see if this works.

He's always on the move rearranging my tank set up so it is very hard to get a picture of him, and my camera is not all that great.
I have a better quality image of him in a video in HD.

You can't really see it in the photo's but he has recently developed 3-4 faint darker blue stripes that run vertically on his body. He has white accent "trimming" along his fins below his belly and his colour is a purple-blue. In natural light he looks more purple, but with a camera flash he looks very blue. He is not shiny at all, and has gold metallic like egg spots on his back fins.

OK.. apparently i have to make a post before trying to post an IMG.. this is my first post lol


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## Lexxyia (Mar 1, 2011)




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## Lexxyia (Mar 1, 2011)

he's fast! but here we go..
*
Short Video*
http://s1184.photobucket.com/albums/z337/Lexxyia/?action=view&current=MOV01131.mp4


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## dielikemoviestars (Oct 23, 2007)

I don't know of any mbuna species that looks like that, but I'm going to wait for someone else to drop the H-word.

And you guys caught me there - had totally forgotten that even some of the most common mbuna are omnivorous. Silly.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Every picture it looks a little different. :lol:

I also don't really know what this looks like, except for some pretty obscure rarities.. but even then.


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## bmweiler09 (Nov 17, 2009)

Lexxyia said:


>


Have no idea what he is.. but I wish I did thats a nice looking fish! :thumb:


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

I agree he looks like a lot of fish, hard to tell

Malawi cichlids are not picky fish at all. They usually eat most fish foods without hesitation. I would be worried that he is sick.


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## Innocent (Jan 5, 2010)

@noki: Not necessarily true, I went through several types of food before I found one that my Mbunas would happily eat.

Anyway, apparently he's happily eating his new herbivore food. 
Still not sure what he is tho!


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## RRasco (Aug 31, 2006)

Last pictures, his body looks like a Polit. He's not a Polit, but that's just what jumped to mind looking at him.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

RRasco said:


> Last pictures, his body looks like a Polit. He's not a Polit, but that's just what jumped to mind looking at him.


Thats kind of what I was thinking. Maybe mixed in with one of the Cynotilapias that have dorsal egg spots.

Soooo many species and variants that freely hybridise that look kind of similar but not found one that looks exactly right. No idea really.

All the best James


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## doobie27 (Jan 11, 2011)

looks like we have a similar fish...and a hard one to get ID'd


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

doobie27 said:


> looks like we have a similar fish...and a hard one to get ID'd


Erm not similar at all. One is a small Mbuna Pseudotropheus/Cynotilapia like quite dull grey with some suggestions of BB markings. Interesting egg spots on the dorsal.

The other is a huge grey guy with faint BB markings and a Petrotilapia or at least Metriaclima like mouth and wierd egg spots on the dorsal.

Similarity is grey not fully coloured BB Mbuna with eggspots in a slightly unusual place and very hard to ID so suspect hybrid. But then iether could be a variant I have not seen.
Niether fish is related to the other except that they have both lost thier provedence and it will prob never be found again.

All the best James


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## Lexxyia (Mar 1, 2011)

I believe I finally got an accurate ID on this beautiful guy.

Drum roll...

Maylandia greshakei

I'm really hoping that he grows out of adolescence and blooms into the adult males I've seen from the images of this species.

Thanks for all the help


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Lexxyia said:


> I believe I finally got an accurate ID on this beautiful guy.
> 
> Drum roll...
> 
> ...


No way is that even a young greshakei sorry. :wink:

Lets not get into the Maylandia/Metriaclima thing again. Same genus just different experts. :wink:

All the best Jamres


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## MalawiTopTeam (Feb 11, 2010)

I agree, certainly not M. Greshakei.


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