Mbuna Species Interbreeding?

[alicia]

A few weeks ago we spotted some babies in our tank. We assumed they were all offspring from the kenyi cichlids since we had two adult males and a number of females.

I hadn't thought about if our single acei male could be a father until I just moments ago spotted him and a kenyi female with eggs doing their little dance.

Could "Big Blue" be the father of some of these?

A few of the babies are quiet dark...

 

[chriscoli]

Yes, it's always a possibility. There are ways to tip the odds in favor of having each species stick to its own, but sometimes it still happens.

 

[alicia]

Well I guess we will just have to see when these guys start coloring up more! Unless Maury does paternity tests on fish.