I suppose I should elaborate. Recently, I purchased 4 "Rusties" who had been housed with a number of Yellow Labs that didnt quite look right to me. Now here are a couple of pictures to explain or illustrate what I am talking about.
This is one of my holding females frontal and side view.
Ok so she is a classic pure bred Rusty female who is holding. Please note the more abbreviated nose, kinda blunt.
Now here are the "Rusties" I purchased at $4.00 per fish at 4 fish so 20 invested in these fish not a big deal really. But here are the pictures of those fish.
Ok so if you will note the nose or snout on these fish is more elongated very much like the hybrid OB you see in the picture with it, or similar to the yellow Lab. More sleek and pointed in the nose and snout. Now considering the various shapes and sizes of the yellow labs the fish were in tank with I am guessing perhaps inter-species breeding and I actually purchased some hybrid that have Rusty coloration but are not pure bred?? If so I need to separate them quickly as my Rusties have been tanked with my Prot. Red Empress and cannot have interbred. I want to make sure I am keeping a pure strain. What do you think is this my imagination? Or is there some basis in fact to what I am seeing and suspecting?