Fry from OB x Aulonocara maylandi

[cichlidaddicted]

In this case there is 100% in my mind its beyond debate that fish is a hybrid. That doesn't make it bad dude I was just trying to help you out. I like when I post a pic and people point out its not what I thought it was. Beyond that if your raising fry its in everyones best interest to know the true identity. In this case its not important because its an OB cross but reguardless its always better to know. I've kept and/or bred all these fish and seen them throughout their growth. Most important thing ive learned is dont always trust the Internet especially user uploaded profiles and random forum threads (such as this) if your serious about learning the fish grab a good book writen by a reputable person. Get to know people on here and learn who you can trust but remember we are mostly hobbyists and in this hobby nothing is concrete.

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[Tony]

Im not trying to be, it just seems to me like the people on this forum are all trying to correct people when they dont have any visual proof, just words. Where are the pics? explain and show the class some evidence. All i am politely asking.

This is an Aulonocara maylandi. I bred these 4-5 years ago, along with Protomelas spilonotus (both the Mara Rocks variety as well as the Tanzanians) and about 40 other Malawi haps, mbuna and peacocks. This is not your fish.

My colony of Protomelas spilonotus Mara Rocks is one of the species in the video in my signature. Check around 2:20 for the colored up male.

Yours could be one, though he is somewhat beaten up and I suspect, not showing full coloration.

Cheers.

 

[cichlidaddicted]

First two pics are spilotonous tanzania, not your fish but the same species as mara rocks and their size is similar. He is 8" and has grown to that in a year. Second pic a fish sold as a "sulfur head hap" really just a hybrid I believe fryeri × mara rocks. Third pic otopharynx lithobates another fish mentioned in this thread with a blaze but again not your fish. I will post the fish sold to me as a mara rocks but isnt just another sulfer head hap hybrid maybe a lithobates × mara rock hybrid.

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[Tony]

Dan - Is that your Tanzanian? Nice fish.

On that hybrid, ever considered somethign like a Copadichromis trewavasae?

 

[PolarIceMan772]

here are a few more pics.

Thank you

 

[PolarIceMan772]

Also i just added a few new fish to mello out aggression between the peacocks. I still have to see long term compatability but i can allways split them up later. They are very good right now.
All of these are 2" more or less
Rock krib (m)
Acei (unsexed)
Tangerine tiger (m)
Venustus (u)
Milomo (m)
Strawberry (u)
Albino strawberry (u)
Hap sp 35 -tomato (m)

Honestly i was going saltwater for my 180, chainlink eels, panther grouper, harlaquin tusk, clown trigger, But im Seariously thinking of doing a full on cichlid tank stocked with about 50-60 fish. Lol, how things change. I'd just hate to see my frontosa, nicaraguan, and my synspilum.

 

[cichlidaddicted]

Yes he's mine. He was the runt for six months. Great fish the pics don't do his fins any justice. Nice color but his fins are long gorgeous.
As for the hybrid, I figured a copadichromis for a while he does have the egg like ovatus shape but his anal fin is red and he's now much bigger than any copadichromis I've kept. For a while I thought fire line mloto because they have a red anal fin and get larger but I'm no where near convinced at this point. This fish has kept me busy many long nights.

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[neut]

+1 on horizontal marks/blotches being a characteristic of some haps and not peacocks, though some peacocks will show hints of a horizontal 'stress' bar in some moods or under stress (for example, some jacobfreibergi will do this).

Also agree that your male possibly looks a bit rough-- at least on my screen it's color isn't great, fins are somewhat short-- enough that I wouldn't be dogmatic about exactly what it is. I've seen plenty of mistakes made on forums on fish that weren't yet fully adult or fully colored or conditioned, or were stressed, shot with an odd camera angle or exposure, distorted by lighting, etc.

IMO I don't see a positive ID on your fish, but that doesn't absolutely make it a hybrid-- although it struck me from the first as a possibility. The one guy on I've seen on forums I'd trust to nail an ID on an ambiguous to questionable fish is Larry Johnson, who's an expert, not just a hobbyist with some experience. He's been diving the lake for years and has been an associate of Ad Konings, the late Stuart Grant, etc. Larry's a pretty no nonsense guy, he and I were mods on the same African cichlid forum at one time, but that forum has kind of died out and I've lost track of where he is now (forum-wise).

(I linked you to his about page, but for someone interested in Lake Malawi, including news on the lake and its fish, safari/diving accounts, etc., the rest of his site is worth checking out.)

 

[cichlidaddicted]

As promised,

Most people would believe this was a mara rock. That said, I do not.
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[Localzoo]

I can see why


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[frkyltn]

My Aulonocara maylandi just starting to color up..sorry for the bad pics..