Please help identify fish

[bbsandiego]

Hi. I have three of these fish in my tank - 2 females and a male, I think. A pair of them dug out a nest and now have about 100 fry they are guarding. Just noticed fry yesterday. Can anyone tell me what they are??

Thanks,

Beverly

[jonah]

Man is he pretty. The head and dorsal fin have kind of an American look to them. I'm going to link this over to there ID forum.

[Ash]

it's a bit dark but maybe a JD?

[Rudy]

Pic is hard to tell. I would guess carpintis.

Does he look like this?

http://www.aquajapan.com/encyc/cichlid/cichlidae/herichthys/carpinte_e.html

Could also be a cyanoguttatum though. The blue light screws me up.

Nice fish though.

[Vip]

looks half texas, half jack demp

[bbsandiego]

Thanks for all of the replies. He does look in body style like the carpintis, but he really is that blue. It is not a light making him look that way.

All three of the fish are a beautiful blue, and the two that are guarding the fry have turned a dark, dark blue on their undersides and back near the tail with the head area remaining a lighter blue.

I guess he is a blue Texas Cichlid, from photos and description of the "breeding coat" I see on this page: http://aqua-addiction.com/profiles/texas/texasprofile.htm

My fish are just very, very blue.

Sorry to post to the wrong forum. I didn't realize he was an American cichlid.

Thank you for your help. It is much appreciated.

Beverly
p.s. And it looks like I'm going to need a bigger tank!! (The current tank is only 50 gal.)

[bbsandiego]

I just realized a Carpintis *is* a Texas Cichlid. Pardon my ignorance. Despite my lack of knowledge about these fish I do take very good care of them! :)

Beverly

[Rudy]

I just realized a Carpintis *is* a Texas Cichlid. Pardon my ignorance. Despite my lack of knowledge about these fish I do take very good care of them!

Hi Beverly.

That is not enitirely true. They are both reffered to as a texas cichlid by fish stores, however the Carpintis and cyanoguttatum (on the link you showed) are completely different fish. :)

[bbsandiego]

Hmmm. Then I guess I don't know for sure. I am leaning toward Carpintis, but he is just quite a bit more blue than the photos I am seeing of other Carpintis.

Thanks again.

Beverly

[Rudy]

I have seen some very blue carpintis. Could you get a couple more pics?

[bbsandiego]

Yes, I will take more tonight when I get home from work. I will try to get better shots, and maybe some of the breeding pair. I don't want to upset them, though.

Beverly

[Rudy]

Breeding colors could be why they have more color than the ones you are seeing. Anyway looking foward to the pics.

[chc]

Originally posted by Vip
looks half texas, half jack demp

What? Joking, right?

[bbsandiego]

Here is a shot of the "mother" fish.

Beverly

[bbsandiego]

Here is another shot. This is the non-breeding fish.

Beverly

[bbsandiego]

A final shot. This is the male of the breeding pair. He is shy and hard to photograph. The "nest" where the fry hang out is under the fake log in the left foreground.

Beverly

[CichSlants]

that fish is a cross between a flowerhorn and a pearl texas, i know b/c we have those at my work and we breed them.

[CichSlants]

if no vertical stripes appear then, it is most likely a regualar pearl texas

[jennigypsy]

wow....
hmm....one of those might work in my empty tank.....


:)

[dirty_mike]

i really cant tell it looks kind of like a jd but i cant put my finger on it.

[Jason_S]

I don't understand all the claims of these fish being hybrids. look at these pics of H. carpintis 'escondido'. Click here! (http://208.51.130.220/~mojo/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Photo;action=display;num=1078989737)

the fish in question look exactly like the pic in the link except the pics in question are darker and the fish are darker. also, the fish in question have spots that are more blue than green, but it is very common for flash cameras to make the blue spots look green. imo, the fish in question are pure H. carpintis or possible, but not likely H. cyanoguttatus. I am about 95% sure the carpintis has larger spots.

Jason