Help me identify my mbuna!

6 posts

Discuss all topics related to freshwater and planted tanks.


bigelf32
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:46 pm

Help me identify my mbuna!

by bigelf32

I dunno what he is, just that he is a mbuna Help!
cf05b-DSC06009.JPG


dizzcat
 
Posts: 648
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:30 am

by dizzcat

He looks like he could be one of many things. Your picture is not good enough to really tell.

Try looking thru the profiles here.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/c ... .php?cat=2


bigelf32
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:46 pm

by bigelf32

here a nother pic for more help
00c8d-IMG_1377.JPG


zambize
 
Posts: 401
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:14 pm

by zambize

How old is it? That makes a difference. It may not have it's full markings/color. Looks a bit like a young Johanni. The markings can look quite different from fish to fish.

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_johanni.php

Z


dizzcat
 
Posts: 648
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:30 am

by dizzcat

Definatly not a Johanni. They have horizontal stripes and this guys are vertical and also the body shape is different.

Looks like one of the Cynotilapia from the profile list I gave you a link to. Just open each one and look thru the pictures until you see one that matches him. The closest one I see may be the Cynotilapia sp. "Chinyankwazi" or Cynotilapia sp. "hara"

Its almost definitely a male, females will be brown or have a duller color. Its easier to determine if you look thru the pictures of each profile because African Mbuna males will change their colors (bars, no bars, light or dark) due to mood. I have an Ice Blue that stays a medium blue with faint barring color until a female swims by, then he goes a light silver blue with a dark blue barring and face mask. Until I brought him home a couple females (they are a rust color) I was not 100% sure he was an Ice Blue (Metriaclima greshakei) because his colors didn't exactly fit the profile colors. But once he saw those females he went into full color mode and bamm there he is, a definate Metriaclima greshakei!! That is why I prefer 1 male to a couple females over a single male because they stay in that awesome color mode. Most pictures people take that look so good, the male was showing off to a female. If you hit reply on this message you will see the difference. Same fish before the females and then after in full show-off mode.

What ever you guy is, he is a beautiful fish!
0ea7c-100_1088.JPG
5b0cb-100_1360.JPG


bigelf32
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 11:46 pm

by bigelf32

thanks ya he 3" plus and i dont think he is a hara so he might be the chinyankwazi ya i have 10 males n my tank only half show color all the time , he is showing his full color, when he is in dark mode he losses his stripes

Help me identify my mbuna!

6 posts

Display posts from previous: Sort by: