What is this fish
- Thread starter Devin Gibson
- Start date
Devin Gibson
CCA Members
It's a Melinochromis Johhani
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chriscoli
Administrator
the crosshatching pattern makes me nervous that it's a hybrid.
Hawkman2000
Members
Its an african rift lake cichlid in a tank with a central american cichlid.
Devin Gibson
CCA Members
Crosshatching?...are you talking about the vertical lines? I know at first I was told he was a Pseudotropheus ...then I thought he was a Melanochromis auratu.....but when I Google the melanchrochromis johhani and it looked like a match
Devin Gibson
CCA Members
I'm confused.... the humor is over my head....i want to laugh ...please explain?....Its an african rift lake cichlid in a tank with a central american cichlid.
chriscoli
Administrator
Most (not all) Mbuna have either vertical or horizontal bars. I see a little of both on this fish. M auratus, M johnnii, and P cyaneorhabdos have horizontal patterning. No vertical barring on any of those.
Devin Gibson
CCA Members
ooooo I get it.....I had the convicts first....they have been rehomed ....thanks thoIts an african rift lake cichlid in a tank with a central american cichlid.
Devin Gibson
CCA Members
when I google the M Johanni this image popped up
chriscoli
Administrator
well, maybe it is. anyone else have experience with Johanni?
Devin Gibson
CCA Members
being such a rookie the only reference I have is google....
chriscoli
Administrator
So I just checked on cichlidae.com (The Cichlid Room Companion). Very good reference, definitely worth joining. If you join the ACA (American Cichlid Association) access to the Cichlid Room Companion is included in your membership now-a-days.
I was reminded that they were reclassified (along with the cyaneorhabdos) into the genus Pseudotropheus. So they are P. johannii, not M. johannii. In the species description, they only discuss horizontal barring, not vertical. Also, I scanned the pictures there and none show vertical barring.
That being said....what you have may also not be a johannii. I see a LOT of fish labeled Johannii that aren't. I think sometimes people like to call any elongated blue fish with horizontal barring a johannii as a catch-all name.
I was reminded that they were reclassified (along with the cyaneorhabdos) into the genus Pseudotropheus. So they are P. johannii, not M. johannii. In the species description, they only discuss horizontal barring, not vertical. Also, I scanned the pictures there and none show vertical barring.
That being said....what you have may also not be a johannii. I see a LOT of fish labeled Johannii that aren't. I think sometimes people like to call any elongated blue fish with horizontal barring a johannii as a catch-all name.
Devin Gibson
CCA Members
That sucks because I really like the fish ....would like a few more...even tho he's very alpha.....probable better to keep him solo
chriscoli
Administrator
If you like him, keep him.
JLW
CCA Members
It's definitely a hybrid.... It's a pond raised fish out of the far east, probably Singapore, and ... finding a fish that isn't a hybrid out of there can be challenging. But... it's a pretty fish, you like it, you enjoy it, what do you care? Just don't release it into Lake Malawi.
But... it's a pretty fish, you like it, you enjoy it, what do you care? Just don't release it into Lake Malawi.
Devin Gibson
CCA Members
I wouldn't give him away because I don't know what he is.....he loves his home and as of right now hes the boss of the tank...If you like him, keep him.
Devin Gibson
CCA Members
I think if anything its a hybrid mbuna......It's definitely a hybrid.... It's a pond raised fish out of the far east, probably Singapore, and ... finding a fish that isn't a hybrid out of there can be challenging.
jonclark96
Past CCA President
As others have said, if you like the fish, keep it! No harm in that. Just be responsible if it happens to breed.
