Pic for IDing

[2petuniasmom]

Here is a picture of Pluto. He was purchased from a tank of assorted African Cichlids about a year or more ago. My daughters named him,,,,,hope he's a him! Everyone that sees him comments on how pretty he is and asks what kind of fish he is. I would like to have something to tell them besides he is assorted :rofl: . He also has a new tank mate named Blue Bonnet. I will post a picture of her as well....not sure if Blue is a girl either!

Pluto is about 4 inches long and is more orange than this picture show. He ives in a 30 gallon tank with his new room mate. He wasn't too sure if He wanted to share his castle at first, but they have become buddies.

Thanks for any help you can give me,
Julie

[2petuniasmom]

Here is Blue Bonnet. She is about 1 1/2 inches long....maybe 2.

[tom]

The top pic shows what appears to be M. estherae ("red zebra"), but it could well be a hybrid. The lower photo--don't know what it is (other than an Mbuna).

[TheThinkingFish]

The top pic is a red zebra. They often have the black splotches on them though more often they are pure oarnge. Males will be light blue or lighe orange (from some farming). Females will be darker orange.

The next pic looks like a kenni (P. lombardi) to me, but many malawi cichlids are blue. Do the stripes ever disappear? If so it could be a cobalt blue zebra (P. zebra).

[2petuniasmom]

thanks for information TheThinkingFish. Yes, his stripes do disappear. I thought he was sick the first time I saw him and he did not have the stripes, but then a short while later they were back. Now that I know what they are, I can look up some information about them. Again, thanks for the info!
Julie

[Cichlid_Fan]

Definitely not a Kenyi, closer to a P. zerba color morph.

[TheThinkingFish]

Julie: They don't call them zebras for nothing :).