African Cichlid I.D.

FreddyJ

FreddyJ

Large Fish
#1
May 5, 2006
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#1
Hello Cichlidophiles! I was at the LFS today and I saw this gorgeous African cichlid, but none of them are identified by type. It was the only one of its type in the tank and it is still a juvi (probably an inch and a half). It is dark blue (midnight blue) body and it has powder blue tips on the fins.

I was looking at pictures online and it looks like some kind of a pseudotropheus or maybe some kind of afra. The colors are the same but this fish at the LFS doesn't have any markings, horizontal or vertical, on its body. Johanni (sp?) cichlids have the same colors but this one doesn't have that long body type. It is more a typical-mbuna shape to the body.

Anyone have a guess? I wish I could get a photo but alas no digi cam and no cell-cam. :D
 

FreddyJ

FreddyJ

Large Fish
#3
May 5, 2006
187
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0
#3
Yup, only on the fins. I figure if you guys maybe could narrow it down for me I might be able to I.D. it ... It's just that googling "blue cichlid" brings up about a bazillion different photos. LOL
 

FreddyJ

FreddyJ

Large Fish
#4
May 5, 2006
187
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0
#4
Yes, only powder blue tips ... a bit more on the tail fin but I wouldn't say more than half of the tail is powder blue.

I was hoping maybe someone would be able to recognize it from that description. It has a fairly distinctive look, or color, rather. Maybe it is some kind of hybrid or cross-breed. Just taking a stab in the dark. ;)
 

C

Cichlid-Man

MFT Staff
#6
Jul 9, 2003
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#6
jessey said:
since we're identifying mystery cichlids, may i ask _why_ all the lfs's i go to always have tanks labeled 'mixed african cichlids'?
Click to expand...
Because they are generally mixed breed fish. Or fish that have the potential to cross breed. They throw a bunch of zebras in a tank and boom you have mixed africans. Sometimes you can find gems and pure fish in the tank, but its just kind of a grab bag from the wholesaler.

Plus they are to lazy to ID them.
 

FreddyJ

FreddyJ

Large Fish
#7
May 5, 2006
187
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#7
Yeah I think you are right, Matt. Some of those fish look pretty mutt-like. I did see what appeared to be a nice OB Peacock and this mystery fish that I was asking about. It's hard to identify them when they are juvies b/c a lot of them change quite a bit as they grow. Also, based on color alone, I have found that it is nearly impossible to identify. I looked through what must have been seven million "dark blue/midnight blue/purple" cichlid pictures and still haven't gotten any closer to figuring out what the fish I was asking about could be.

I did see some that were close. Melanochromis perileucos looks like him. The colors are right but the description implies that there are some vertical stripes which are not present on the fish I am inquiring about. But like I was saying, it could evolve to look like that. I don't know.

:)
 

FreddyJ

FreddyJ

Large Fish
#10
May 5, 2006
187
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#10
yay! So I FINALLY figured out what this fish was....ran across some on Aquabid just randomly....
....drum roll.....

Psedotropheus Acei Ngara White Tail....the pictures that I've found online are exactly the same fish...

Does anyone know if this is a fairly common species to find at an LFS?
 

C

Cichlid-Man

MFT Staff
#11
Jul 9, 2003
8,866
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#11
Pseudotropheus Acei is a fairly common fish yes, though the Ngara variety might be hard to come by. I'd go to a breeder/importer to get it if you wanted that variety (Unless you can get them at your LFS). In the LFS usually you only see the yellow tailed variety.
 

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